SCOTLAND

Elections

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Scotland Office submitted its views on the de-coupling of the Scottish local government elections and the Scottish Parliament elections to the Scottish Executive.

David Cairns: The decision to decouple the Scottish local government elections from the Scottish Parliament elections is a matter for the Scottish Executive. In his statement to the House on 23 October, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland indicated he would welcome such a decision.

Elections

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations the Scotland Office made to the then Department for Constitutional Affairs on the timetable for the enactment of the Electoral Administration Act 2006.

David Cairns: The Electoral Administration Bill received Royal Assent on 11 July 2006, almost 10 months before the Scottish elections in May 2007. As a member of the ministerial team taking the Bill through, I was fully aware of the timetable for enactment.

Elections

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the legislation sub-group of his Department's 2007 elections steering group was consulted on the proposed ballot paper for the Scottish Parliament elections.

David Cairns: Neither the 2007 elections steering group nor its legislation sub-group were established by the Scotland Office. The elections steering group was chaired by the Scottish Executive. The steering group's legislation sub-group was chaired by the Scottish Executive when the local government legislation was under discussion and the Scotland Office when the Scottish Parliament legislation was under discussion. The sub-group was consulted directly on the proposed ballot paper for the Scottish Parliament election at a meeting of the sub-group on 10 August 2006.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Driving

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many drivers his Department employs in Afghanistan.

Gareth Thomas: DFID currently employ five drivers in Afghanistan.

Departmental Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of his Department's personnel are in each province of Iraq; what their role is in each province; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID currently has four permanent staff in Baghdad and one in Basra. DFID Baghdad comprises the Head of Office, a Deputy Head, a Programme Officer and an Office Manager. In Basra, the DFID staff member is integrated into the Consulate.
	DFID's role in Iraq is to support the government in unlocking its own human and financial resources. To this end, staff in Baghdad oversee three main programmes: economic reform, developing the machinery of government and donor co-ordination of humanitarian relief efforts. The DFID representative in Basra oversees DFID's power and water projects, and economic and governance work through the UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Developing Countries: Debts

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of heavily indebted countries at risk from vulture funds' actions; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: World Bank and International Monetary Fund staff conducted a survey on this issue in May 2007. It identified 11 heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) that had been targeted with lawsuits by a total of 46 litigating creditors. In addition, two countries reported being threatened by litigation.
	Eight new legal actions were reported since the previous survey in 2006, of which five are against Nicaragua, two against Cameroon, and one against Ethiopia. The HIPCs facing the most litigation cases are Nicaragua, the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Uganda, with nine, eight, seven, and six lawsuits respectively.
	This information is included in the latest annual joint World Bank/International Monetary Fund status of implementation report on the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). The report is available on the World Bank website.

Developing Countries: Debts

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made on ensuring that highly indebted poor countries have access to the legal assistance they need to defend themselves against litigation from vulture funds, with particular reference to the proposals at the African Development Bank to develop a legal assistance facility to help countries facing legal action gain access to technical and legal support; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The UK welcomes the consideration being given by the African Development Bank to develop a legal assistance facility to help countries facing creditor litigation. The bank has recently conducted a feasibility study on the establishment of such a facility. We will continue to influence and support the bank in this endeavour and to seek support from other donors for this initiative.

Developing Countries: Debts

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to protect developing countries from the effects of the activities of vulture funds.

Gareth Thomas: We are working to address this problem in two ways—by seeking to prevent debts being sold to vulture funds in the first place and by limiting the damage done by cases already under way. To reduce the risk of debts falling into the hands of vulture funds, we are working with the World Bank to help poor countries buy back their commercial debts at a discount through the Debt Reduction Facility. The debts are then dealt with and cannot be taken through a court. More than $8 billion (approx. £4 billion) of debts have already been cancelled in this way. We are also working with heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) to strengthen their debt management capacity and overall governance.
	In cases where poor countries' debts are already in the hands of vulture funds, we are working with the African Development Bank and others to ensure that countries have access to legal advice to help them fight these cases. The strong defence that the Government of Zambia mounted recently, for example, reduced its liability by around $40 million (approx. £20 million). It was the first defence case of this kind that has been even partially successful.
	The UK will also continue to raise this issue internationally. At the recent annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, G7 Finance Ministers agreed to examine whether additional steps can be taken to address this problem.

Guatemala: Children

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department has given to non-governmental organisation offices working with street children in Guatemala in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has given no funding to non-governmental organisations' offices working with street children in Guatemala in the last 12 months.

Iraq: Security Guards

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on private contractors providing protection services in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each year since 2003;
	(2)  what private contractors have provided protection services for his Department in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each year since 2003.

Gareth Thomas: DFID engages private security companies for security of our staff in high threat environments. ArmorGroup, Control Risks Group (CRG), and Kroll have provided mobile security for DFID staff, consultants and static guarding for our compounds in Iraq and Afghanistan.
	Since June 2004, DFID's security needs in Iraq have been met by contracts managed and administered by the FCO. The following costs have been incurred by DFID:
	
		
			   Cost to DFID (£ million) 
			 2003-04 (1)5.0 
			 2004-05 14.2 
			 2005-06 12.9 
			 2006-07 6.1 
			 2007-08 (2)— 
			 Total 38.2 
			 (1 )DFID contract.  (2 )Not yet available. 
		
	
	The Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) Iraq Strategy also has significant programme spend on Police/Prison reform—elements of police capacity building programme contracted to ArmorGroup who utilise both CRG and military (escorts) to provide security for their personnel.
	In Afghanistan, DFID has awarded a number of contracts to ArmorGroup for armed protection of the main DFID office and residential compounds. These contracts also provide close protection (armed bodyguards) to staff when travelling to locations in Afghanistan deemed medium/high risk, and defensive driving training to our locally employed drivers. The value of these contracts from June 2004 to December 2006 was £3,217,691. Since January 2007, DFID's security needs have been met through a contract issued by the FCO, and the total DFID contribution to this contract this financial year was £949,567 by June 2007.

Jamaica: Overseas Aid

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's aid programme for Jamaica was in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Information on UK aid to Jamaica is available in the DFID publication 'Statistics on International Development 2007'. This publication is available online at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk.
	In 2006-07 DFID gave £5.8 million in bilateral aid to Jamaica. The imputed UK share of multilateral official development assistance (ODA) to Jamaica in 2005 was £1.4 million.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol: Prosecutions

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were prosecuted for selling alcohol to minors in  (a) Hertfordshire and  (b) Dacorum in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested on persons proceeded against for selling alcohol to persons under 18 years in each of the last five years in Hertfordshire is provided in the attached table. Information on prosecutions in Dacorum is not available as the data is not held at that level of detail.
	In addition to court proceedings, the offence of sale of alcohol to a person under 18 can attract a penalty notice for disorder (PND). The offence was added to the PND scheme on 1 November 2004. No PNDs were issued in Hertfordshire in November and December 2004 and three were issued in 2005. Data for 2006 will be available in November 2007.
	The results of the national Tackling Underage Sales Enforcement Campaign (TUSAC), during which 2,683 premises were targeted by police and trading standards officers during a 10-week campaign between 4 May and 13 July 2007, show that in nearly 9,000 test purchase operations children were only able to obtain alcohol in 14.7 per cent. of cases.
	In 2004, the overall test purchase failure rate was 50 per cent. In 2006, it had dropped to 20 per cent. In this latest and more targeted campaign it now stands at 15 per cent. overall.
	Whereas earlier enforcement campaigns were conducted on a random sample of premises, good and bad, this campaign targeted premises known to problematic. A further reduction in the failure rate is therefore particularly encouraging.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for selling alcohol to underage customers, Hertfordshire police force area 2001-05( 1,2,3) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 2001 — — 
			 2002 1 — 
			 2003 1 — 
			 2004 8 6 
			 2005 3 1 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Covers the offences: Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises under the Licensing Act 1964 s. 169 A and B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 s.1, Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18 under the Licensing Act 1964 s.181 A(1) as added by Licensing Act 1988 s.17, Sale of alcohol to a person under 18 under the Licensing Act 2003 s. 146 and Allowing Sale of alcohol to a person under 18 under the Licensing Act 2003 s. 147. Sections 146 and 147 of the 2003 Licensing Act only came into effect from 24 November 2005, so data prior to 2005 are not available. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: RDS—Court proceedings database—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice

Anti-Terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how frequently control orders are subject to review; and what form such review takes.

Tony McNulty: Each non-derogating control order is valid for 12 months and will be automatically subject to a judicial review before the High Court.
	The controlled person may also appeal a dispute relating to any modification of the control order with any such appeal also being heard at the High Court.
	In addition, the Home Office has established a review group, with representation from law enforcement and intelligence agencies, to keep the obligations in every control order under regular (quarterly), formal and audited review.
	Lord Carlile, the Independent Reviewer of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, reviews the operation of the Act on an annual basis.

Anti-Terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of control orders.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office keeps the effectiveness of control orders under review. We continue to assess that control orders are an essential tool to protect the public from terrorism.

Anti-Terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many control orders are active.

Tony McNulty: I would refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement published on 17 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 126-28WS.

Anti-Terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals currently subjected to control orders have previous convictions for terrorism-related offences.

Tony McNulty: None of the individuals currently subject to control orders have previous convictions for terrorism-related offences.
	One individual has been convicted of breaching his control order and sentenced to five months' imprisonment.

Crime: Victims

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people aged 65 years and over in  (a) the East of England and  (b) Suffolk have been victims of crime in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not available centrally. Details of the age of victims of crime are not available from the recorded crime statistics. The British Crime Survey collects details of the victim's age and can look at victimisation of those aged 65 and over at a national level. However, this data cannot be reliably broken down at either regional or police force area level.

Crimes of Violence: Retail Trade

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the incidence of physical violence against retailers in the last 12 months; what representations she has received on the subject; and what steps she intends to take to reduce the levels of physical violence against retailers.

Vernon Coaker: Figures on physical violence against retailers are not available from the recorded crime series as no details of the victim's employment are recorded.
	We are aware of the concerns of retailers and retail organisations about threats and actual violence against shop staff and we are fully committed to working with them, both through the National Retail Crime Steering Group and through other means, to address these concerns.
	We also support Usdaw's 'Freedom from Fear' campaign and the Union has been invited to nominate a representative to attend future meetings of the National Retail Crime Steering Group.

Handguns: Ireland

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has received reports of illegal guns arriving in mainland Great Britain through the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Advice from HM Revenue and Customs is that there is little or no current intelligence to suggest that prohibited firearms are being brought into mainland Britain from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Motor Vehicles: Glass

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is made available to police forces in England and Wales on enforcement of the visual light transmission standard imposed by Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.

Vernon Coaker: Enforcement of Regulation 32 is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police and for the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. No central guidance has been issued and information is not collected centrally on how much forces spend on equipment to test compliance.

Motor Vehicles: Glass

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money was spent by police forces in England and Wales on equipment capable of measuring compliance with the visual light transmission standard imposed by Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Enforcement of Regulation 32 is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police and for the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. No central guidance has been issued and information is not collected centrally on how much forces spend on equipment to test compliance.

Offensive Weapons: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of knife crime were reported in Milton Keynes in each year between 1997 and 2007.

Vernon Coaker: The requested information is not yet available. Data on knife-enabled grievous bodily harm and robbery offences have been collected centrally since April 2007. Figures for 2007-08 will be published in July 2008 in the next annual 'Crime in England and Wales' volume. It will, however, be possible to provide breakdowns only at police force area level.

Police: Doctors

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was to each police authority in England and Wales of employing healthcare professionals at custody suites in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The allocation of resources within each force area is a matter for the Chief Officer and the Police Authority.

Police: Tourists

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what information her Department uses to estimate the number of tourists visiting police authority areas in England and Wales;
	(2)  what adjustments are made to the police formula grant in England and Wales to take account of the numbers of tourists visiting individual police authority areas.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 12 November 2007
	A new funding formula for allocating police general grant was introduced in 2006-07. During the discussions on the new formula, in which representatives from ACPO and the APA and the wider policing community were involved, it was concluded that no reliable indicator of tourism exists.
	A full consultation on options for change took place in the summer of 2005-06 where all representations were fully taken into account.

Security Guards: Licensing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the fee is for applying for a Security Industry Authority licence for security guarding; and what the fee was in each of the last two years.

Vernon Coaker: Since 6 April 2007, the fee for applying for a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence has been set at £245 for two years, subject to review.
	Before this date, the SIA licence application fee was £190.

Security Guards: Licensing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the impact of the licensing regime on the UK security industry, with particular reference to the costs of and delays in issuing licences.

Vernon Coaker: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) published research in July 2007 on the impact of licensing on security guards and door supervisors. This is available on the SIA website at:
	http://www.the-sia.org.uk/home/about_sia/publications_research.htm.

Stop and Search

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the power to authorise stop and search for offensive weapons within a specified area for the period of 24 hours under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 was used by a senior police officer in each year since the Act came into force.

Vernon Coaker: Available information on stops and searches of persons or vehicles under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 from 1995 to 2005-06 can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Searches of persons or vehicles under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and resultant arrests England and Wales 
			  Number 
			   Stops and searches in anticipation of violence 
			   Total searches  Number of persons found to be carrying offensive weapons or dangerous instruments  Arrests for offensive weapons  Arrests for other reasons 
			 1995 (from 10 April) 2,380 205 58 109 
			 1996 7,020 187 132 371 
			 1996-97 7,970 177 129 392 
			 1997-98 7,970 377 103 332 
			 1998-99(1) 5,500 213 91 84 
			 1999-00 6,840 59 36 195 
			 2000-01 11,330 357 309 411 
			 2001-02 18,900 1,367 203 485 
			 2002-03(2) 44,400 1,568 356 2,142 
			 2003-04(3) 40,400 557 299 1,248 
			 2004-05(4) 41,600 286 256 958 
			 2005-06 36,300 542 192 1,522 
			 (1) Figures updated since publication of the 1998-99 Bulletin. (2) Figures updated since publication of the 2002-03 Bulletin. (3) Figures updated since publication of the 2003-04 Bulletin. (4) Figures updated since publication of the 200-05 Bulletin.

Terrorism: Detainees

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the people detained without charge on suspicion of terrorist offences since July 2006 were released  (a) before 10 days,  (b) between 11 and 20 days,  (c) between 21 and 26 days,  (d) on the 27th day and  (e) on the 28th day.

Tony McNulty: The 14 day detention period came into effect on 20 January 2004 and the maximum period of detention pre-charge was extended to 28 days with effect from 25 July 2006. The following table, compiled from police records, provides details, to date, of the numbers of individuals charged or released and held from between 14 to 15 days and through to 27 to 28 days. We do not collate statistics for the timescales requested.
	
		
			  Period of detention  Number of persons held  Charged  Released without charge 
			 14 to 15 days 1 1 — 
			 18 to 19 days 1 1 — 
			 19 to 20 days 3 3 — 
			 27 to 28 days 6 3 3

WALES

Departmental Contracts

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what contracts his Department has with external consultants; what the total value, including all VAT and disbursements, of these contracts are for the current financial year; how long each contract lasts; and what the forecast total value is of each contract.

Peter Hain: In the current financial year my Department entered into a short-term consultancy contract which started on 11 April and ended on 10 May 2007 at a total cost of £4,700.

Departmental Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales at which functions his Department incurred expenditure on hospitality in 2006-07; and how much expenditure was incurred at each function.

Peter Hain: During 2006-07 the Wales Office spent £12,265.41 on hospitality for the following events:
	
		
			   Event  Cost (£) 
			 July 2006 Wales Office Reception for Government of Wales Act 2006 London 3,309.04 
			 December 2006 Wales Office shared reception with Northern Ireland Office 3,524.12 
			 March 2007 Wales Office St. David's Day Reception 3,239.11 
			 March 2007 Wales Office Slavery Abolition Reception 2,193.14

Whistleblowers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many reports have been made to his Department's nominated officers under paragraph 16 of the revised Civil Service Code since its publication on 6 June 2006.

Peter Hain: None.

Whistleblowers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported to his Department by departmental staff since 6 June 2006.

Peter Hain: None.

Whistleblowers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when his Department's whistleblowing procedures were reviewed to reflect the provisions in the revised Civil Service Code.

Peter Hain: My Department's whistleblowing policy statement was updated in October 2006.

Public Expenditure

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what in-year changes were made to the Barnett formula as it applies to Wales in each year since 2000.

Peter Hain: The Barnett formula remains unchanged. Revised editions of the Treasury publication "Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly—a Statement of Funding Policy" were published in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2007. These contain full details of the Barnett formula including changes to the population factors and the comparability factors.
	In addition, the population factors are revised on an annual basis to take account of the updated mid-year estimates of population published by the Office for National Statistics.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departmental Property

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the cost to the public purse was of providing a square metre of office space on the parliamentary estate in 2006-07.

Nick Harvey: The average resource cost of a square metre of space on the parliamentary estate in 2006-07 was £651. This is a high-level figure covering the whole of the estate, including unusable spaces. Detailed cost figures for office space only are not readily available. A costing system is under development to provide detailed unit cost information by the end of 2007-08.

Palace of Westminster: Parking

Mark Harper: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission 
	(1)  if the Commission will consider introducing a scheme to enable hon. Members to book disabled parking bays for their guests;
	(2)  what enforcement procedures are in place to ensure that parking bays designated for people with disabilities in the Palace of Westminster are used by blue badge holders only;
	(3)  what recent assessment the Commission has made of the adequacy of parking arrangements for disabled visitors to the Palace of Westminster.

Nick Harvey: Parking spaces for Members and staff with disabilities or mobility problems are provided in Star Chamber Court. If space is available and advance notice is given, the Serjeant at Arms office will endeavour to accommodate Members' guests although this cannot be guaranteed. Priority is given to Blue Badge holders driving the vehicle. Able-bodied drivers are normally given permission to drop off a passenger and park elsewhere. Occasionally it is possible to arrange for parking in the House of Lords for such visitors.
	Permission to park in designated bays is occasionally given to Members or staff who have temporary disabilities such as a broken limb or following major surgery so the bays are not limited to Blue Badge holders only.
	The provision of parking facilities for people with disabilities is kept under review and the Serjeant at Arms office records details of permissions given to ensure that the limited spaces are not overbooked.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Constituencies: Parliament

Frank Field: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what calculations the Commission has made of the number of parliamentary constituencies there would be in  (a) England,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) Northern Ireland if all constituencies had equal numbers of voters.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission has no statutory responsibilities in relation to parliamentary constituency boundaries, and informs me that it has made no such calculations.

TRANSPORT

Aircraft: Air Conditioning

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of  (a) carbon monoxide and  (b) organophosphates poisoning were reported on (i) Flybe 146 flights, (ii) 146 aircraft, (iii) Boeing 757 flights and (iv) other flights in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The CAA's mandatory occurrence reporting scheme (MORS) database contains reports of contaminated air events submitted by UK operators. The nature of any potential contaminant is not recorded on the database. In accordance with its regulatory practice, the CAA's data analysis does not identify the operators or aircraft registrations and has been aggregated to include all UK operators.
	The last full year for which figures are available is 2006. In that year there were 109 contaminated air events. These figures break down by aircraft type as follows:
	
		
			  Aircraft type  Number of contaminated air events 
			 Boeing 757 43 
			 BAe146 17 
			 Airbus A319 10 
			 Embraer EMB 145 9 
			 Airbus A320 7 
			 Boeing 737 5 
			 Various other aircraft 18 
			 Total 109

Aviation: Fireworks

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many passenger aircraft have reported instances of near misses with fireworks in the last 10 years; and at what altitude each of the aircraft was when the near miss took place;
	(2)  how many passenger aircraft have been struck by fireworks in the last 10 years; at what altitude each aircraft was struck; and what damage was sustained.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Over the last 10 years, there have been 33 reports of fireworks in the vicinity of passenger aircraft within UK airspace, and six reports of passenger aircraft struck by fireworks in UK airspace.
	The reported altitude and aircraft damage (if applicable) for each event is summarised in the following tables by year. Where the altitude of the aircraft was not reported, the data is recorded as "unknown".
	
		
			  Fireworks reported in vicinity of passenger aircraft 
			   Number  Height (feet) 
			 1998 1 7,300 
			 1999 2 8,000, 300 
			 2000 1 500 
			 2001 3 600, 400, 400 
			 2002 6 Unknown, 300, 400, 150, 300, 300 
			 2003 6 200, 1,200, 350, 400, 450, 350 
			 2004 2 150, 400 
			 2005 6 800, 150, unknown, 600, 450, 250 
			 2006 4 700, 200, 3,000, 0 
			 2007 2 150, 700 
			 Total 33 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Passenger aircraft struck by fireworks 
			   Number  Height (feet)  Damage to aircraft 
			 1998 0 n/a n/a 
			 1999 0 n/a n/a 
			 2000 1 100 No 
			 2001 0 n/a n/a 
			 2002 1 800 No 
			 2003 2 560, 250 No 
			 2004 1 Unknown No 
			 2005 0 n/a n/a 
			 2006 0 n/a n/a 
			 2007 1 300 Scorched paint 
			 Total 6 — —

Aviation: Noise

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of the Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England study published by her Department on 2 November 2007; and how much was spent on fees to MVA consultants.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The current cost of the Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England (ANASE) project is £1,458,711.1. Of which, £1,401,517.60 represents fees to MVA consultants.

British Transport Police: Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total serving strength of the British Transport Police is; and how many officers work primarily in  (a) airports and  (b) international railway stations.

Tom Harris: As at 31 March 2007 the British Transport Police comprised 2,818 serving officers, 252 Community Support Officers and 1,121 support staff.
	The British Transport Police do not police the airports.
	The other information requested is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at: British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk

Departmental Assets

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each asset is; what the expected revenue from each sale is; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The requested information, where not commercially sensitive, has been placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Manpower

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Welsh speakers her Department employs.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Invalid Vehicles: Accidents

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents involving mobility scooters were recorded in each of the last three years records for which information is available.

Rosie Winterton: Mobility scooters involved in personal injury road accidents reported to the police are recorded under the other motor vehicle category and cannot be identified as a distinct group of vehicles.

Level Crossings: Death

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deaths there were at  (a) unmanned and  (b) manned railway crossings in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: The information is contained in the following table:
	
		
			  Fatalities at (a) unmanned and (b) manned crossings from 2002 - 06( 1) 
			   (a) Unmanned crossings  (b) Manned crossings  Total 
			 2002 13 1 14 
			 2003 15 1 16 
			 2004 15 2 17 
			 2005 13 1 14 
			 2006 8 0 8 
			 Total 64 5 69 
			 (1) These data are based on accident notifications sent by railway companies to the Office of Rail Regulation's HM Railway Inspectorate, under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1995. 
		
	
	Fatalities caused by trespass and confirmed suicides are excluded from these data.

Level Crossings: Frinton-on-Sea

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what consideration of safety factors there will be before a decision is reached on the future of the manned railway crossing at Frinton-on-Sea;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effect of changing from a manned railway crossing to an unmanned railway crossing in Frinton-on-Sea on safety; and what the evidential basis is for her assessment.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation's (ORR) HM Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) is currently assessing Network Rail's proposal to modernise Frinton-on-Sea crossing. As required by the Level Crossings Act 1983, ORR's consideration of the safety factors at level crossings must take into account the "safety and convenience of all users at or near the level crossing".
	At present, ORR's view is that Network Rail's plans to modernise the crossing are acceptable, subject to continuing discussion and agreement as the scheme progresses. ORR plans to meet local people on Friday 16 November to discuss their representations. Essex county council has given approval in principle for the highway element of the crossing modernisation.
	The existing arrangements at the level crossing are unsuitable to deal with the current volume of road traffic and rail traffic. The planned modernisation will reduce risks to all crossing users, particularly those from the local community who have disabilities. It will also reduce risks to Network Rail's own staff—the current level crossing arrangements pose a significant risk to the safety of the crossing keeper.
	Under Network Rail's planned proposals the crossing will be monitored at all times by the railway signaller from the signal box using closed circuit television. This is a common method of operation on level crossing across Britain's mainline railway network. These types of automatic barrier level crossings which are locally monitored have a very good safety record.

Motor Vehicles: Glass

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money was spent by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in each of the last three years on  (a) equipment used to measure the visual light transmission (VLT) standard for vehicle window tint and  (b) enforcement actions related to infringement of the VLT standard by drivers.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has spent the following on equipment used to measure the visual light transmission standard for vehicle window tint:
	
		
			   Amount 
			 2007-08 (1)5,918.00 
			 2006-07 7,410.00 
			 2005-06 9,195.00 
			 2004-05 15,400.00 
			 (1) To date 
		
	
	VOSA does not record the costs uniquely for enforcement actions related to infringement of the VLT. To retrieve this information could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Motor Vehicles: Glass

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many copies of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency leaflet Tinted Windows: Your Questions Answered have been  (a) printed and  (b) requested by members of the public in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has printed the following numbers of copies of the leaflet 'Tinted Windows: Your questions Answered' in the last three years:
	
		
			   Copies 
			 2005 5,000 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 10,000 
		
	
	VOSA does not record the number requests received for leaflets.

Overcrowding: Olympic Games 2012

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what facilities will be put in place to ensure that commuters travelling between Liverpool Street and Chelmsford will not be affected by severe congestion during the Olympics.

Tom Harris: The transport arrangements for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games are set out in the Olympic Delivery Authority's Olympic Transport Plan, which was published on the 23 October 2007. This includes a number of measures in and around Stratford designed to increase the number of trains on the Great Eastern Mainline out of Liverpool Street that are able to stop at Stratford, and thus reduce the likelihood of congestion on this route.

Performance Standards: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the standard of service on the Liverpool Street to Chelmsford line for commuters; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State for Transport has not undertaken an assessment of the standard of service on the Liverpool Street to Chelmsford line for commuters. Passenger surveys are undertaken by Passenger Focus. The results of the latest National Passenger Survey (Spring 2007) are available on the website at www.passengerfocus.org.uk.

Railway Stations: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with Stroud district council on the proposed new railway station at Hunts Grove.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State has had no discussions with Stroud district council on a proposed new station at Hunts Grove.

Railways: Finance

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the accumulated public sector cost of the railways in the UK has been since 1997, including subsidies, loans and borrowing guaranteed by the Government.

Tom Harris: Historic Government support to the Rail Industry is set out in Table 6.2a of National Rail Trends which is published by the Office of Rail Regulation. Copies are available in the Library of the House. The Government also provide a financial indemnity (FIM) to Network Rail's lenders, has issued guarantees in respect of certain bonds that have been issued to finance the channel tunnel rail link (CTRL) project and has issued a guarantee in respect of CTRL track access payments. Full details of these arrangements have been previously notified to Parliament and are set out in the Department's Resource Accounts. As at 31 March 2007, Network Rail's FIM backed debt stood at £19.8 billion, and the CTRL guarantee arrangements were valued at some £4.38 billion.

Rapid Transit Systems

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many light rail schemes have been completed and opened since 1997.

Tom Harris: The following light rail schemes have been completed and opened since 1997:
	
		
			   Light rail scheme 
			 1999 Midland Metro 
			 1999 Docklands Light Railway extension to Lewisham 
			 2000 Croydon Tramlink 
			 2000 Manchester Metrolink Phase II (to Eccles) 
			 2002 Tyne and Wear Metro Sunderland extension 
			 2004 Nottingham Express Transit 
			 2005 Docklands Light Railway extension to London City Airport

South West Trains: Winchester

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason she decided not to include the Winchester to Romsey Rail Link bus service in the franchise re-awarded to South West Trains; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Winchester to Romsey Rail Link bus service was not explicitly included within the South Western franchise specification. Bidders were asked to consider transport integration within their bids, and to seek opportunities within the franchise area. The improved rail service from Romsey in recent years and the loss-making nature of the existing Rail Link bus service resulted in Stagecoach deciding that it would be poor value to continue with the service.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many personal injury collisions occurred at the site of each fixed speed camera in  (a) Hertfordshire and  (b) Dacorum in the 12 months (i) before and (ii) after installation of each.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is not held in the form requested. Fixed cameras operated by the Hertfordshire Safety Camera Partnership under the national safety camera programme, which ended on 31 March 2007, reduced the number of personal injury collisions at camera sites by an average of 49 per cent. per year, comparing all the available after installation data with the three years before installation. This means around 162 fewer personal injury collisions each year. I have arranged for tables to be placed in the Libraries of the House regarding the performance of fixed speed cameras in Hertfordshire.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to assist farmers with protection from  (a) flooding and  (b) waterlogging.

Phil Woolas: The operating authorities are encouraged to manage flood risk within a strategic, catchment-wide approach. Such works may be grant-aided by my Department if they meet our criteria and many farmers receive considerable benefit from public investment in this area. The Environment Agency also provides information on flood risk and advice to farmers on managing their land to reduce the likelihood and impacts from floods and water-logging.

Bees: Diseases

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has undertaken to investigate the phenomena of Colony collapse disorder; and whether he intends to make more funds available for research into honey bees.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA is aware of the press reports about the serious situation in the USA in respect of cases of abnormally high levels of colony loss described as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Scientists and inspectors at the National Bee Unit (NBU) are monitoring the situation and are in contact with experts in the USA and Europe to learn about developments.
	However, we do not have evidence to suggest that there is something similar happening in the UK. The very limited number of cases of high losses which have occurred this season, for which there is no ready explanation, are being investigated in depth by the NBU and bee inspectors. The causes of significant colony losses are being considered as part of the Central Science Laboratory and the NBU's horizon scanning work. Initial results indicate high levels of virus in samples taken from dead or dying colonies.
	DEFRA's annual expenditure on bee health research has averaged around £200,000 since 2001. However, there is an ongoing review of expenditure on all DEFRA programmes, including bee health, and future funding will need to be considered alongside the full range of priorities facing the Department.

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the review group investigating bovine tuberculosis led by Sir David King will take steps to engage with the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB.

Jonathan R Shaw: Sir David King is arranging a meeting with Professor Bourne and other members of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB to discuss his report on badgers and bovine tuberculosis in cattle.

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to introduce the use of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for the testing of cattle for bovine tuberculosis.

Jonathan R Shaw: Under EU regulations, the tuberculin skin test is (and is likely to continue to be) the primary diagnostic test for TB in live cattle in the field. We foresee only a minor, if any, role for non-immunological assays in the screening of cattle populations for TB.
	DEFRA has been funding work using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to develop tests for  Mycobacterium bovis ( M. bovis) since 1999. This has included work to develop a reliable and rapid bovine TB screening test that can detect the presence of  M. bovis DMA in infected cattle tissues. Work to date shows the value of the application of PCR techniques in certain situations, for example in cattle tissue samples from suspect cases of TB disclosed at routine slaughter, where the speed of the result is of importance.
	The use of automated PCR machines has been trialled by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency for use in routine detection of  M. bovis in a range of bovine tissue samples in the laboratory. A review of this and its incorporation into routine laboratory diagnostic techniques is currently being planned. However, PCR is not yet as sensitive, specific or reliable as conventional bacterial culture in detecting TB.
	DEFRA is investing £1.3 million on work on PCR over the next 3 years that will allow us to tell the difference between  M. bovis and similar species from environmental samples. This is not likely to be available as a field test in the short term.
	No reverse transcription stage is required for the detection of  M. bovis organisms by PCR, as DMA (not RNA) is the constitutive nucleic acid in the genome of mycobacteria.

Climate Change

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on tackling climate change by his Department in 2006; and if he will provide a breakdown of this spending by main category of expenditure.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the DEFRA annual report.

Departmental Property

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on rationalising his Department's property portfolio; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The Department has a business-led estates strategy which will deliver a reduction of the Estate of approximately 20 per cent. by March 2011. In London a 50 per cent. reduction in office accommodation has already been achieved from a 2003 baseline.
	This rationalisation strategy supports the Renew DEFRA Business Reform Programme which is aimed at providing an efficient Department, including its Executive Agency delivery bodies, occupying a sustainable office portfolio and reducing the Departmental carbon footprint.
	Disposals already identified over the current CSR period will deliver the initial 20 per cent. target reduction and the Department is already looking to identify other opportunities to further reduce the operational property portfolio both in London, and nationally in line with Departmental business need.
	The principal strategy is to deliver a modern sustainable workplace which is cost effective and enables the Department, including its Executive Agency delivery bodies, to deliver its key business objectives.

Energy: Conservation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms his Department has established to evaluate the effectiveness of standard assessment procedures in relation to energy efficiency.

Phil Woolas: I assume the hon. Member is referring to standard assessment procedures (SAP) software approvals.
	We have contracted the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to evaluate third party produced SAP software that would be used by SAP assessors. Software submitted to BRE are tested against the approvals criteria which determine for example, the accuracy of assessment results.
	If the software meets the requirements, then an approval for its use to determine compliance with Part L of the Building Regulations for England and Wales is issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Energy: Conservation

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent by central Government on energy conservation in Huddersfield in each year since 2004-05.

Phil Woolas: Energy conservation is a broad term that could refer to many activities implemented by a wide number of Government institutions. As such, it is not possible to accurately estimate the total Government spend in Huddersfield.
	DEFRA's main programme for improving the energy efficiency of vulnerable households is the Warm Front Scheme, which provides grants for heating and insulation measures. Warm Front spend on measures in Huddersfield is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Huddersfield (£) 
			 2004-05 594,825.32 
			 2005-06 293,090.61 
			 2006-07 881,334.24 
			 Year to date 797,105.08 
			 Total 2,566,355.25

Environment Agency: Flood Control

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when the Environment Agency will announce its new plans for the improvement of flood defences;
	(2)  what recent assessment the Environment Agency has made of the present condition of flood defences for which they are responsible.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency is currently reviewing its business plans for 2008-09 in light of the recent Comprehensive Spending Review settlement. It will announce its proposals for the improvement of flood defences in February 2008.
	The Environment Agency currently inspects assets on a risk based programme and assesses the national position on a quarterly basis.
	The proportion (by length) of flood defences such as raised walls and embankments, maintained by the Environment Agency that were in good or better condition in April 2007 was 55 per cent. A further 40 per cent. were in a fair condition.
	The proportion (by number) of flood defence structures, such as sluices and outfalls, maintained by the Environment Agency that were in good or better condition in April 2007 was 69 per cent. A further 26 per cent. were in a fair condition.

Flood Control: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funds were allocated for flood protection to  (a) Yorkshire and the Humber,  (b) East Anglia and  (c) London in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency is the principal operating authority with responsibility for flood risk management in England. The following table shows Environment Agency expenditure for the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Flood Defence Committee (RFDC) (which covers Yorkshire and the north bank of the Humber estuary) and Anglian RFDC. Thames RFDC covers a wider area than just London but the figures indicate funds allocated for flood protection in Greater London only.
	
		
			  £  million 
			  Area  2003-04  2004-05  2005- 0 6  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Yorkshire and Number 37.3 33.4 40.7 34.0 35.1 
			 Anglian 71.2 71.0 86.5 95.6 78.6 
			 Thames (London only) 39.1 41.1 47.2 45.5 43.7 
		
	
	Some further works will have been carried out by local authorities and internal drainage boards but these will be significantly lower than the sums expended by the Agency.

Floods: Insurance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to encourage small businesses to take out business interruption insurance cover in relation to flooding.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	Together with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Association of British Insurers, my Department is reviewing the current guidance that we make available on businesslink.gov and the best means to promote the importance of being adequately insured against the risk of flooding.

Floods: North East Region

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the number of homes at risk from  (a) river flooding,  (b) coastal flooding and  (c) surface water flooding in the North East region.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency's 2006 National Flood Risk Assessment identified 295,900 homes at risk from river and coastal flooding in the north east region. 138,200 of these are at risk from river flooding and 153,000 homes are at risk from coastal flooding. In addition there are 4,700 properties at risk from both river and coastal flooding.
	The Environment Agency's National Flood Risk Assessment does not include surface water flooding, but its flood map shows areas that are known to have been flooded. This will include some areas of surface water flooding but in many instances this takes place in conjunction with river flooding and it is not possible to separate the two.

Floods: Risk Assessment

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what plans he has to review the number of bodies involved with and the coordination between them relating to mapping flood risk, including scope for better coordination;
	(2)  what plans he has to review bodies involved in mapping flood risk; and what plans he has to improve co-ordination between them.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency is the only public sector organisation that maps flood risk on a national scale and it is funded by DEFRA to do so. The agency co-operates with local authorities and other bodies undertaking flood risk assessments and mapping for different purposes. It will continue to improve its maps over time as technology develops.

Floods: Warnings

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what review has been undertaken of the  (a) channels of communication and  (b) liaison on warnings between the Environment Agency and the Meteorological Office at times of flooding.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency's review of the summer floods will include looking at communications and liaison on flood warnings and will inform the independent review being undertaken by Sir Michael Pitt.
	Separately, the agency is leading a joint project with the Met Office to identify improvements in notification of major rainfall or other flood-causing severe events and in the procedures to be followed by both organisations.

Floods: Yorkshire and the Humber

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the likely cost of putting in place defences to protect Yorkshire from river flooding;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of how much it would cost to protect Yorkshire from river flooding.

Phil Woolas: It is not feasible to completely protect against flooding.
	I understand the Yorkshire RFDC has a programme of possible expenditure on new defences of £364 million over the next 10 years. The amount that is eventually spent will depend on the relative priority of schemes in Yorkshire compared to those elsewhere in the country.
	The current Environment Agency estimate of expenditure on all its flood risk management activities (i.e. including such activities as operations and maintenance as well as new defences) in the Yorkshire RFDC area over the next 10 years is £628 million.
	Further works may be carried out by local authorities and internal drainage boards but the sums involved are much lower than for the Environment Agency.

Floods: Yorkshire and the Humber

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of total funding for flood protection Yorkshire and the Humber have received over each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency collects and holds data on the basis of Regional Flood Defence Committee (RFDC) boundaries. The Yorkshire RFDC boundary covers Yorkshire and the north bank of the Humber estuary.
	The following table shows Yorkshire RFDC percentages of total DEFRA grant in aid allocated to the Environment Agency for flood risk management from 2004-05 onwards (when direct grant from DEFRA replaced the previous mixed system of majority funding from levies on local authorities with some capital grant from DEFRA).
	
		
			   Percentage allocated RFDC of total FDGIA to Yorkshire 
			 2004-05 8 
			 2005-06 10 
			 2006-07 9 
			 2007-08 9 
		
	
	Further funding would have been provided to local authorities and internal drainage boards but at much lower levels than those provided to the Agency.

Fuel Poverty: Standards

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes there have been to the Government's public service agreements on fuel poverty.

Phil Woolas: A revised approach to public service agreements (PSAs) was introduced in the comprehensive spending review 2007, with a new set of PSAs coming into effect from April 2008. There is a much smaller number of key cross cutting PSAs, setting a vision for continuous and accelerated improvement in the Government's priority outcomes, and delivered collectively by multiple Departments.
	Fuel poverty is firmly embedded in this approach, no longer as a stand alone PSA, which is now contributing to the achievement of wider Government priorities. Fuel poverty is reflected as a component in the delivery of the PSAs on Child Poverty (led by Her Majesty's Treasury), on Independence and Well-being in Later Life (led by Department for Work and Pensions), and on Better Health and Well-being (led by Department of Health). The Government remain committed to tackling fuel poverty and promoting effective cross-departmental work to this end.
	My Department's and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's delivery of its responsibilities on fuel poverty will be reflected in these PSAs, and also as part of my Department's ongoing performance reporting systems, which will underpin its annual report to Parliament.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Seeds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will seek to maintain and strengthen the UN moratorium on the field testing and commercialisation of Terminator seed technology; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) decided in 2000 that there should be a precautionary approach in field testing and commercial development of Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (GURTs).
	'Terminator seeds' are one example of plants that could potentially be bred using these technologies. The decision is clear that products incorporating GURTs should not be approved for field testing until appropriate scientific data can justify such testing, and for commercial use until appropriate scientific assessments with regard to ecological and socio-economic impacts have been carried out and the conditions for their safe and beneficial use validated.
	At the most recent CBD meeting, held in March 2006, governments reaffirmed this decision. We supported the decision. The UK Government's position has not changed on this issue.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Seeds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the potential effects on UK agriculture of the use of Terminator seed technology; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: My Department has not commissioned any recent research on the potential effects of "Terminator seed" technology on UK agriculture.
	We commissioned a desk study of Technologies for Biological Containment of Genetically Modified (GM) and non-GM Crops. The report is available on the DEFRA website.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Seeds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received from  (a) Progressio and  (b) others on Terminator seed technology.

Phil Woolas: We have received two recent representations, which included the subject of "Terminator seed" technology, neither of these were from Progressio.

Pigs

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response he has made to the recommendation of the Farm Animal Welfare Council that the use of aversive gas mixtures for stunning and killing pigs should be phased out within five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 12 November 2007
	In its response to the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) report, the Government indicated that it would investigate alternatives to the use of carbon dioxide for stunning and killing pigs. DEFRA has commissioned two research projects that will examine the use of other gases or gas mixtures (including inert gases) for these purposes. The work commenced in 2005, but it will take at least five years to complete. The Government's response confirmed that it could not make a commitment to phase out the use of carbon dioxide within five years while there was no certainty that an effective alternative system would be available within that time frame. This remains the position.

Wild Boar

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to  (a) finalise and  (b) publish his Department's strategy for wild boar management.

Joan Ruddock: We intend to finalise our policy on feral wild boar management by the end of 2007 and will publish it as soon as is practical.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Expenditure

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a breakdown of his Department's efficiency savings in relation to its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets, including  (a) the efficiency projects in the Department,  (b) the date on which each of these projects was initiated and  (c) how much was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Shaun Woodward: Details of the Northern Ireland Office's efficiency savings in relation to Spending Review 2004 can be seen in the Department's Efficiency Technical Note. A copy is available in the Library.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Prison Service: Homophobia

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Solicitor-General with reference to her answer of 21 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1145W, on Prison Service: homophobia, for what reason this information is not held by the Treasury Solicitor; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The Treasury Solicitor keeps records primarily to meet the operational needs of his Department as the Government's solicitor. Cases tend to be categorised according to client and according to the nature of the claim at law, for example, assault, personal injury, unfair dismissal, misfeasance, judicial review. Homophobia as such does not constitute a claim at law. Rather, it may be, or may be perceived to be, a motivating factor in many kinds of claim. Whether, in any case, homophobia has been such a factor may never be established leaving the issue speculative and any record based upon it unreliable. No operational purpose of the Treasury Solicitor's Department would be served by keeping such a record and for that reason, having regard to the duty to be cost-effective, such records are not kept.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Community Development

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on the Where We Live programme in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The Where We Live programme now has the new brand-name of Living Places.
	The programme is delivered through a partnership between the five leading national cultural agencies, DCMS, DCLG and the Regional Cultural Consortia.
	Its aim is to ensure all communities can benefit from cultural and sporting opportunities by embedding culture in the development of our villages, towns and cities.
	DCMS contributed £20,000 towards the Thames Gateway Forum in 2006.
	DCMS has yet to be invoiced for its contribution of £20,000 from this year's partnership budget.

Departmental Expenditure

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what efficiency savings his Department was required to make as part of its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets; what efficiency projects have been undertaken in the Department in pursuit of those targets; on what date each was initiated; and how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has five efficiency programme streams that contribute to its overall target of £262 million savings over the SR04 spending period. Latest figures up to June 2007 are:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   June 2007 outturn  March 2008 target 
			 DCMS Internal 1 2 
			 Museums and galleries NDPBs 52.9 45 
			 Heritage NDPBs 12.8 14 
			 Strategic NDPBs 52.2 55 
			 Local authorities 84.6 146 
			 Total 203.5 262 
		
	
	Our efficiency savings are reported publicity in our Departmental Annual Report and our Autumn Performance Report. The 2007 Autumn Performance Report, due to be published in December, will contain the latest figures up to September 2007.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many reports have been made to his Department's nominated officers under paragraph 16 of the revised Civil Service Code since its publication on 6 June 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's nominated officers have received no reports under paragraph 16 of the revised Civil Service Code since 6 June 2006.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported to his Department by departmental staff since 6 June 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported by staff in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport since 6 June 2006.

Departmental Manpower

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many civil servants in his Department  (a) transferred to other Government Departments and  (b) left the civil service in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Over the last five years a total of  (a) 347 civil servants in DCMS have transferred to other Government Departments and  (b) 172 have left the civil service. See following table for breakdown per year.
	
		
			   Transferred to OGD( 1)  Left civil service 
			 2002-03 47 23 
			 2003-04 62 27 
			 2004-05 63 36 
			 2005-06 57 53 
			 2006-07 47 33 
			 (1) Please note that figures for transferred civil servants include those on long-term loans to other Government Departments and whose loan period to DCMS came to an end and who returned to their own Department.

Departmental Manpower

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Welsh speakers his Department employs.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We are unable to provide an answer as the Department does not hold information on how many Welsh speakers it employs; the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Football: Community Relations

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which football clubs receive Government funding to operate community schemes; what assessment he has made of these schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following Government initiatives fund community schemes operated by, or in conjunction with, football clubs.
	Playing for Success establishes out of school hours study support centres at professional football clubs and other sports clubs. 80 centres are based in football clubs, including all 20 clubs in the premier league, to which the Department for Children Schools and Families will contribute £5.3 million in 2007-08.
	The Home Office funds Positive Futures, a national sports-based social inclusion programme. Six football clubs, (Arsenal, Leyton Orient, Portsmouth, Chelsea, Millwall and Brentford) have Football in the Community Schemes affiliated to them that have successfully applied for Positive Futures programme funding, and will receive a total of £608,074 in 2007-08. The 2007 annual monitoring and evaluation report on the entire Positive Futures Programme is expected to be published in November.
	The Kickz scheme, currently delivered in partnership with 19 premiership and 11 football league clubs across the country, offers positive evening activities for young people, including football leagues and education sessions. Evaluation of the four pilot Kickz projects showed that local crime had fallen by an average of 27 per cent. during those times that projects were being held. The Football Foundation received £1 million to help expand the Kickz programme from four to 25 clubs in 2006 and a further £1 million was allocated to Kickz in September 2007.
	I am arranging for further details of these schemes and participating clubs to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Legacy Lives Conference

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many government bodies are involved in the 2008 Legacy Lives Conference in Barbados; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: UK Sport is the only government body that is involved in this event. In addition, the Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is due to speak at the conference via video link.

Sports: Drugs

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding the Government have allocated for prevention of doping in sport in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows UK Sport's, the UK's national anti-doping organisation and lead agency for elite sport, allocation of funding for the prevention of doping in sport in each of the last 10 years.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1998-99 0.67 
			 1999-2000 (1)0.62 
			 2000-01 (1)0.61 
			 2001-02 (1)0.89 
			 2002-03 1.16 
			 2003-04 1.40 
			 2004-05 1.77 
			 2005-06 3.12 
			 2006-07 3.01 
			 2007-08 3.27 
			 (1) These entries show budget figures, as records for actual spend are not available. The figure for 2007-08 is a forecast. 
		
	
	Since 2002, Government have paid an annual contribution to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for its work in the prevention of doping in sport. The following table sets out these contributions, which are paid in December each year. The figure for 2007 is a forecast.
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2002 308,788 
			 2003 339,977 
			 2004 329,056 
			 2005 373,902 
			 2006 337,081 
			 2007 357,758

Sports: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has allocated to sport in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows how much the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has allocated to Sport in each of the last 10 years, including planned figures for 2007-08.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1997-98 50.1 
			 1998-99 49.4 
			 1999-2000 51.9 
			 2000-01 52.6 
			 2001-02 68.8 
			 2002-03 112.1 
			 2003-04 97.5 
			 2004-05 146.2 
			 2005-06 150.0 
			 2006-07 183.2 
			 2007-08 186.4

Sports: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in raising £100 million from the private sector for elite sport announced in the 2006 Budget and referred to in the answer of 9 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1293-94W, on sports: finance; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Following discussions with UK Sport, LOCOG and other stakeholders, my Department is tendering for a specialist consultancy to lead this work on our behalf.
	The deadline for companies to submit a tender is 7 December, and we expect to appoint the company soon after that date.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Burma: Human Rights

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is open to the UK to refer Burma to  (a) the International Court of Justice and  (b) another international body for persistent use of forced labour; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: There are provisions in the Constitution of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which allow a state to pursue a complaint that another state has breached an ILO convention; this could ultimately lead to proceedings in the International Court of Justice. However, the Secretariat of the ILO believe that it would be wrong to start such action now in respect of forced labour in Burma. The ILO want to see the Memorandum of Understanding, that they signed with the Burmese government on 26 February 2007, produce results. The memorandum provides that alleged victims of forced labour in Burma will have full freedom to submit complaints to the ILO Liaison Officer in Rangoon.
	We support the actions of the ILO aimed at ensuring that Burma complies with its international obligations on forced labour. We are actively working with our European and international partners, as well as through the UN and ILO, to press the regime to end the appalling human rights violations and to engage in a genuine process of national reconciliation involving all relevant parties and groups in Burma.

China: Capital Punishment

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he and Ministers and officials from his Department have had with the Chinese government on the number of crimes punishable by death in China.

Meg Munn: We regularly urge China, both bilaterally and through the EU, to reduce the number of crimes punishable by death and to adopt transparency on death penalty statistics. The death penalty was discussed at the most recent round of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, held in Beijing on 17 October 2007. We also raised the death penalty at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue, held in London on 5 February 2007.

Cuba: Overseas Aid

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests have been made by the US administration for UK funding for the US Freedom Fund for Cuba; what plans his Department has to contribute to such a fund and what assessment his Department has made of the compatibility of the Freedom Fund for Cuba with Article 2 of the UN Charter and related international treaty obligations.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received no request for UK funding for a US Freedom Fund for Cuba and, therefore, has no plans to contribute to such a fund. The US administration has not released full details of the proposed Freedom Fund and so it would be inappropriate for us to undertake an assessment of the compatibility of the fond with Article 2 of the UN Charter or other international treaty obligations.

Departmental Consultants

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contracts his Department has with external consultants; what the total value, including all VAT and disbursements, of these contracts are for the current financial year; how long each contract lasts; and what the forecast total value is of each contract.

Meg Munn: The information requested by the hon. Member could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Annual expenditure on external consultants is published in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Department's annual reports, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. The two most recent annual reports also contain details of expenditure on the top five consultancy suppliers. The vast majority of work undertaken for the FCO by consultants is associated with its major Information Communication Technology and Estate construction programmes.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 542-43W, and the reply the then Minister for Europe my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon) gave to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 24 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1474W.

Departmental Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at which functions during the last year hospitality expenditure was incurred by his Department.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe on 18 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1314W.
	Further to that answer, Government Hospitality, Protocol Directorate, managed 199 official functions between November 2006 and October 2007. Of these functions, 58 were hosted by Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers or were funded directly by Government Hospitality on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

EU Treaties: Reform

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for which policy areas where a common position has already been agreed at EU level the new EU Foreign Affairs representative will play a lead role following ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon.

Jim Murphy: The draft Lisbon Treaty specifies that the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy "shall ensure the implementation of the decisions adopted by the European Council and the Council" on common foreign and security policy issues. He or she would therefore have responsibility for taking forward implementation of common positions and other decisions on foreign and security policy issues where member states decide on action at the EU-level in the Council. Common positions currently in force cover a range of issues, including EU policy towards Belarus, Burma, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Ivory Coast, Somalia, Sudan and Uzbekistan.

Iraq: Overseas Workers

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) location of death,  (b) age at death and  (c) cause of death was of the 72 British civilians who have died in Iraq since March 2003 referred to in the answer of 17 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 1089-90W, on Iraq: overseas workers.

Meg Munn: The location and cause of death of the 72 British civilians that have died in Iraq since March 2003 are as follows:
	
		
			  Location  Number 
			 Baghdad 23 
			 Basra 8 
			 Mosul 7 
			 Diwaniyah 6 
			 Tikrit 4 
			 Kirkuk 3 
			 Karbala 3 
			 Fallujah 2 
			 Sulaymaniyah 1 
			 Umm Qasr 1 
			 Hit 1 
			 Al Kut 1 
			 Rustamiyah 1 
			 Anbar 1 
			 Bayji 2 
			 Samarra 1 
			 Latifiyah 1 
			 Balad 1 
		
	
	We do not have the location details of the remaining five cases.
	
		
			  Cause  Number 
			 Improvised Explosive Device 25 
			 Shot 22 
			 Vehicle borne Improvised Explosive Device 7 
			 Road traffic accident 4 
			 Natural causes 4 
			 Bomb blast 4 
			 Fall 1 
			 Beheaded 1 
			 Suicide 1 
			  Note: Cause of death was not established in the three remaining cases. 
		
	
	We have no central data for the ages at time of death.

Iraq: Security Guards

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on private contractors providing protection services for his Department in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each year since 2003.

Kim Howells: The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Iraq  
			 2003/04 16,800,000 
			 2004/05 49,500,000 
			 2005/06 47,800,000 
			 2006/07 30,400,000 
			 2007/08 26,000,000 
			   
			  Afghanistan  
			 2004 4,000,000 
			 2005 4,000,000 
			 2006 15,000,000 
			 2007 19,600,000 
		
	
	The information above covers contracts put in place by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London with private security companies, and reflects the contract values concerned and not the actual spend. All of these contracts cover other Government Departments with the costs thereof being shared accordingly.
	The FCO ensures that all contracts are subject to a rigorous selection process so that we obtain best value for money. Any company engaged by the FCO needs to pass through a stringent and transparent procurement process in line with public procurement guidelines and best practice.

Napoleon Gomez Urritia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on Napoleon Gomez Urritia, leader of the National Union of Mine and Metallurgical Workers of the Mexican Republic known as Los Mineros.

Meg Munn: On 7 November, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary received a request from British trade union Community for a meeting with Mexican trade union representatives to discuss the issue of Mr. Gomez. A meeting with relevant officials has been offered.

Napoleon Gomez Urritia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Mexican government on the welfare of Napoleon Gomez Urrutia, leader of the National Union of Mine and Metallurgical Workers of the Mexican Republic known as Los Mineros.

Meg Munn: My right. hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made no representations to the Mexican government on the welfare of Napoleon Gomez Urrutia.

Pakistan: Overseas Residence

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK passport holders are estimated to be living in Pakistan.

Meg Munn: The number of passports issued in Islamabad and Karachi over the last 10 years indicates a figure of 35,000 British nationals who live permanently in Pakistan and hold a British passport. However, we estimate that the actual figure could be as high as 80,000 as many Pakistanis are dual nationals who obtain a passport in the UK, but live for a large part of the year in Pakistan.

Saudi Arabia: Official Visits

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost to the public purse was of the visit to the UK by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

Meg Munn: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 41W.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an assessment of the military situation in Darfur.

Meg Munn: The military situation is confused because so many of the armed groups have splintered. Darfur remains insecure with continued attacks against African Union Mission in Sudan troops and Government forces, unrest in the internally displaced persons camps and inter-tribal conflict, as well as general banditry. The African Union Mission in Sudan currently has approximately 7,000 troops based in Darfur, under the command of General Agwai. UN Security Council Resolution 1769 mandated the deployment of a 26,000-strong African Union-UN hybrid force. We are working for the prompt and effective deployment of this force and the engagement of all parties in the political process to address the insecurity in Darfur.

Travel Information

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason the WAGs Guide to Travel was produced by his Department; how much it cost; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Know Before You Go is a travel safety campaign run by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Consular Directorate, aimed at reducing the problems that British travellers face when on holiday abroad. It focuses both on the general travelling public and on a number of key target audiences who are involved in a disproportionate number of preventable consular cases.
	One of the campaign's target groups is young women aged between 16-24. Research shows that this audience responds particularly well to advice from celebrities and other aspirational figures. We therefore decided to involve a football wife and girlfriend (WAG) in the campaign to generate media coverage, which would deliver our messages to this audience.
	To front the WAG's guide the campaign recruited Charlotte Mears and she was paid £2,000. Planning and administration of the campaign were covered as part of our ongoing contract with Know Before You Go campaign agencies at no additional cost. In total, Ms Mears worked for 10 hours on the WAG's guide and its promotion. The guide had coverage on GMTV, radio, websites, consumer magazines and national and regional press and generated over 27 million opportunities to hear and see Know Before You Go travel safety messages. This equates to £170,000 worth of media advertising. For an outlay of £2,000 we therefore secured coverage which would have cost £170,000 to buy commercially, making the WAG's initiative a highly cost-effective way of getting safety messages across to a key target audience.

Western Sahara

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to Morocco to encourage it to join a third round of talks agreed by the Polisario and Algeria on the future of the Western Sahara.

Kim Howells: The UK fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Peter van Walsum, and has encouraged the parties to continue negotiations under UN auspices, as set out in UN Security Council Resolutions 1754 and 1783.
	The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1783 on 31 October, which renewed the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara until 30 April 2008. The resolution also calls upon the parties to continue negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary-General without preconditions and in good faith.
	The first two rounds of these negotiations took place in Manhasset, New York on 19-20 June and 10-11 August. The UN has not yet announced dates for a third round of negotiations.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Flexible Working: Parents

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to ensure that the case for extending the right to request flexible working to parents with older children is kept under review; and whether he will set a deadline for a review period.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	On 6 November 2007, the Prime Minister announced that the Government have decided to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older children. At the same time, he announced that he had asked Ms Imelda Walsh, Director of Human Relations at J Sainsbury plc, to conduct a review to consider where the age cut-off for older children should be set. Ms Walsh will make recommendations to the Secretary of State in the spring of 2008.

Social Security Benefits

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people on benefits had been in receipt of benefits continuously for over 12 months in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) active and  (b) inactive benefits.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Working age claimants of active or inactive benefits with a duration of over 12 months in Great Britain, as at February each year 
			  February  Active benefits( 1)  Inactive benefits( 2) 
			 1997 625,550 3,304,300 
			 1998 355,040 3,214,100 
			 1999 313,420 3,200,900 
			 2000 254,555 3,076,950 
			 2001 196,625 3,122,230 
			 2002 154,985 3,142,220 
			 2003 136,710 3,160,880 
			 2004 133,930 3,164,430 
			 2005 118,830 3,134,270 
			 2006 131,440 3,088,770 
			 2007 153,305 3,035,020 
			 (1) 'Active benefits' means jobseeker's allowance. (2) 'Inactive benefits' means working age claimants of income support (income support claimants include: lone parents; sick and disabled; carers; and others), incapacity benefit (including national insurance credits only cases), and severe disablement allowance.  Notes: 1. Inactive benefits caseloads 1997 to 1999 figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and for 2000 onwards are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Inactive benefits caseloads for 1997 to 1999 have been uprated by applying 5 per cent. proportions to 100 per cent. WPLS data. 3. Active benefit caseloads are rounded to the nearest five.  Sources: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample, February 1997 to 1999; Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100 per cent. data, February 2000 onwards; and 100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems

Winter Fuel Payments: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of eligible pensioners in  (a) Suffolk and  (b) the East of England claimed the winter fuel allowance in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not available. We can only assess eligibility for those people who are in contact with the Department and whose circumstances are known. The vast majority of winter fuel payments are made automatically without the need to claim, but those people whose circumstances we are not already aware of, for instance because they are not on state pension or other benefits administered by DWP, would need to make a claim so that their eligibility can be assessed.
	The following table shows the number of winter fuel payments made to people in Suffolk and the East of England in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Payments made 
			   Suffolk  East of England 
			 2002-03 153,000 1,110,690 
			 2003-04 155,730 1,128,200 
			 2004-05 155,730 1,128,650 
			 2005-06 158,630 1,145,550 
			 2006-07 162,640 1,171,170 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Government office regions and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.  Source: Information directorate 100 per cent. data

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Housing: Planning Permission

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what standards will be applied to development rights for single family dwellings in  (a) conservation areas and densely built-up urban areas and  (b) modern, low density suburban areas;
	(2)  whether single family dwellings in conservation areas will be exempted from the change in the development rights as set out in Changes to Permitted Development, Consultation Paper 2: Permitted Development Rights for Householders.

Iain Wright: The Department is considering the responses to the consultation paper on permitted development rights for householders, including the response from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea which addresses the issue of permitted development rights for houses in conservation areas. The Government will announce its decision on this issue soon.

Housing: Prices

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the change has been in average house prices in  (a) east Worthing and Shoreham,  (b) West Sussex and  (c) England over the last 10 years.

Iain Wright: The average house prices in West Sussex and England in 1997 and 2006 are given in the following table together with the percentage change over that period. Data at the east Worthing and Shoreham level is unavailable.
	
		
			  Mean house price, England—1997-2006 
			   1997  2006  £ change  Percentage change 
			 West Sussex 90,314 239,863 149,548 266 
			 England 79,482 206,715 127,233 260 
			  Source: HM Land Registry

Housing: Standards

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made with the technical committee for the development of the Standard Assessment Procedure for homes announced in July; if she will publish the timetable of the three meetings of this committee due to be convened; and whether she expects to receive the committee's recommendations by January 2008.

Iain Wright: Good progress has been made. Two meetings with the Construction Products Association and the House Builders Federation have taken place. Industry feedback has been obtained and a list of issues compiled for consideration in the development of the Standard Assessment Procedure for the energy rating of homes. This list is under review. Further meetings will be convened as required and I expect to receive a report in early 2008.

Housing: Waiting Lists

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were on the housing waiting list for  (a) each local authority and  (b) social landlords in each local authority area in (i) 1997, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2007.

Iain Wright: The number of households on the waiting list for social housing in each local authority each year since 1997, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/144458.
	Information as to whether a specific local authority area operates a common housing register is also provided. Figures for 2007 are not currently available. The link for this table is as follows:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/144458.
	Communities and Local Government does not collect information on people or households on individual registered social landlords (RSL) waiting lists. However, where the local authority maintains a common housing register with RSLs in their district, the list will also include households placed on the list by RSLs.
	Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The size of the waiting list is not necessarily an indicator of absolute need, it is only useful as a broad indicator of housing demand in an area. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list before they need or want to move house.

New Towns: Planning Permission

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who the applications for new town developments are from; and what the timetable is for the selection of the 10 candidate sites.

Iain Wright: As the Prime Minister told the House on 6 November we have received over 50 expressions of interest in respect of eco-towns. These have come from both local authorities and developers, and will be considered in a cross-government strategic review. The intention is then to announce the selected schemes in February 2008. We expect that there will be up to five eco-towns by 2016 and 10 by 2020.
	I regret that I am not able to divulge the identities of those applying for eco-towns in advance of the completion of the process to assess the expressions of interest that have been received. This would have the potential to be detrimental to the Department's interests in the award of funding and obtaining best value, as well as to the commercial interests of those applicants not selected.

Planning

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers the Planning Inspectorate has to consider applications which the local planning authority has deemed invalid; under which regulations this power exists; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Court of Appeal held in Regina  v. Bath and North East Somerset district council 1999 that a determination of invalidity by the local planning authority does not exclude the right of appeal to the Secretary of State on the question of validity. The court reached its decision on the basis of a purposive construction of statutory provisions, in particular section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and section 20 of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
	When considering validity of an appeal, the Planning Inspectorate, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, must take full account of the statutory requirements under the Town and Country Planning (Applications) Regulations 1988 and those within the General Development Procedure Order 1995.

Planning: Appeals

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many appeals were lodged with the Planning Inspectorate in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006; and how many Planning Inspectorate site visits were outstanding (i) three months, (ii) six months, (iii) nine months and (iv) 12 months after the date an appeal had been lodged in each of these years.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the numbers of planning appeals lodged (received) and determined by the Planning Inspectorate in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006, where a site visit was carried out. The table also shows the proportion of appeals where site visits had been carried out and the numbers outstanding and waiting for a site visit (i) three months, (ii) six months, (iii) nine months and (iv) 12 months after the date the appeal had been lodged in each of the three years.
	
		
			  Planning appeals (England) received and numbers of site visits carried out 
			   (a) 2004  (b) 2005  (c) 2006 
			  Period  Site visits carried out  Number outstanding  Site visits carried out  Number outstanding  Site visits carried out  Number outstanding 
			 (i) Up to 3 months after appeal receipt date 117 17,669 5,044 10,285 1,204 15,966 
			 (ii) Up to 6 months after appeal receipt date 9,633 8,153 14,905 424 15,990 1,210 
			 (iii) Up to 9 months after appeal receipt date 17,625 161 15,172 157 17,084 116 
			 (iv) Up to 12 months after appeal receipt date 17,720 66 15,252 77 17,174 26 
			 Total numbers of appeals received (lodged) 17,786 15,329 17,200

Repairs and Maintenance: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will increase funding for  (a) management and maintenance allowances and  (b) major repairs allowances.

Iain Wright: Management and maintenance allowances and the major repairs allowance inside the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy system will be announced when the Department consults on the HRA subsidy determination for 2008-09. Consultation is imminent and it would be premature to make any announcement at this point.

Sand: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the ability of Lancashire county council to meet its quota for extracted sand for the period 2001 to 2016.

Iain Wright: In relation to Lancashire county council's quota for extracted sand, as set out in its sub-regional apportionment of the Aggregates Guidelines 2001 to 2016, plan making and planning policy delivery is devolved to the appropriate regional or local planning body. The agreed sub-regional apportionment, including the ability of a Mineral Planning Authority (Lancashire) to meet it, will be tested during the development plan preparation and scrutiny process by Government Office North West; and subsequently by an independent planning inspector.

Travelling People

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the impact of itinerant Traveller settlements on local communities; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Government recognise the problems that unauthorised encampments (where Gypsies and Travellers camp on land they do not own) can cause for both the settled community and Gypsies and Travellers themselves. Increased authorised site provision, coupled with effective use of enforcement powers is vital to addressing these problems. The Government have established a new framework to increase authorised site provision, and provided additional resources to support the framework and is working with the Local Government Association and Improvement and Development Agency to assist local authorities and others to use enforcement powers more effectively.

Travelling People

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many itinerant Travellers there were in England in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: The Department for Communities and Local Government publishes data on the number of Gypsy and Traveller caravans on authorised public and private sites, and unauthorised encampments and developments twice yearly. Copies of the latest publication 'Count of Gypsy Caravans on 18 January 2007: Last Five Counts' is available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1153575.

Travelling People

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the accommodation needs for Gypsies and Travellers in  (a) England and  (b) Devon.

Iain Wright: Local authorities are required to assess the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers in their areas in the same way as they are required to assess the accommodation needs of all of the communities in their area.. Regional Assemblies are using these assessments to determine in regional spatial strategies how many pitches should be provided across the region and in each local planning authority area. These assessments are now under way in all local authorities in England, and the large majority are complete. Councils in Devon published the final report of their assessment in early 2007, and it is available on East Devon district council's website at:
	www.eastdevon.gov.uk/content/final_report_devon_wide_gypsy _and_traveller_housing_needs_assessment.pdf
	The first detailed proposals were submitted to the South West Regional Assembly in March 2007.

West Northamptonshire Development Corporation: Regulation

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers the Government have to regulate the activities of the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation; and what regulatory mechanisms are in place.

Iain Wright: West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government. As such the broad framework within which it operates is set out in its management statement and associated financial memorandum as required by Cabinet Office guidance.
	The management statement includes information on the aims, objectives and targets of WNDC and provides for performance to be monitored through the Corporate Plan, Business Plan and Annual Plan Targets. WNDC's detailed financial framework and funding arrangements including conditions attached to receipt of grant in aid, financial delegation and reporting requirements are set out in the financial memorandum.

DEFENCE

Hydrographic Office

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of the recent decision to keep the UK Hydrographic Office at Taunton on the ongoing review of the Office's structure and ownership.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is a trading fund within the Ministry of Defence. In February 2007, we announced that we would carry out a review of the structural and ownership options for UKHO. This is due to report at the end of the year.
	As the review work matured and the options were defined in more detail, it became clear that the decision on UKHO's future status was independent from the decision on its future location. As a result we were able to take forward the site investment appraisal.
	In order to end the uncertainty facing UKHO's staff, we sought to announce the results of this appraisal as quickly as possible. The decision to keep the UKHO in Taunton was taken on value for money grounds.

1918 Armistice: Anniversaries

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans are being made to commemorate the 90(th) anniversary of the Armistice of 1918 next November; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 12 November 2007
	There are currently no plans for the Department to commemorate specifically the 90(th) anniversary of the end of the first world war but we are keeping this under review. While not denying the importance of any milestone related to the great war, our priority is to arrange commemorations which provide living veterans with an opportunity to remember their experiences on significant anniversaries which are generally the 25(th), 50(th) and 60(th). In addition, we also mark the centennials of major conflicts that have a central place in the national memory and this will be the case for the first world war in 2018.
	My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence, announced, on 27 June 2006,  Official Report, column 6WS, our plans for a major national event to mark the passing of the first world war generation some months after the death of the last known veteran resident in the UK. The overall aim will be for a reverential national event that is both commemorative and educational.
	While the Department is not planning specific commemorations for the 90(th) anniversary, we will of course provide support where possible to veterans' associations or other organisations that may be planning their own events.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times  (a) less-than-lethal and  (b) non-lethal weapons have been used in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq in each year since 2001.

Bob Ainsworth: Records indicate that no baton rounds have been used in Afghanistan since July 2006. There are no centrally-held records prior to that date, but we believe it is highly unlikely that any baton rounds would have been used by UK forces in Afghanistan between 2001 and July 2006.
	Records indicate that around 70 baton rounds were used in Iraq in 2004, 1,520 in 2005, 1,070 in 2006 and 200 in 2007. There are no centrally-held records for the period prior to 2004, although records suggest that no baton rounds were used during the initial combat phase of the operation. In addition, records indicate that three anti-riot CS grenades were used in Iraq in 2005 and 10 in 2006. None were used in 2004 or, to date, in 2007.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many successful applicants under the armed forces compensation scheme there were in each tariff in each year since 2005.

Derek Twigg: The number of awards made under the armed forces compensation scheme in each year since 2005 is shown in the following table. The armed forces and reserve forces compensation scheme (AFCS) came into force on 6 April 2005 to pay compensation for injury, illness or death caused by Service on or
	after that date.
	Awards made under the armed forces compensation scheme in each financial year, by tariff level:
	
		
			   Awards( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Tariff Level  April 2005  to  March 2006  April 2006  to  March 2007  April 2007  to  September 2007 
			 1 — — — 
			 2 — * * 
			 3 — * 5 
			 4 — 5 * 
			 5 — 5 * 
			 6 — 10 5 
			 7 — * — 
			 8 — * * 
			 9 — — * 
			 10 * * — 
			 11 * 20 5 
			 12 25 140 100 
			 13 25 155 100 
			 14 25 150 105 
			 15 10 80 35 
			 Total 90 580 370 
			 (1 )Where more than one condition is claimed for, the table shows the highest tariff level that a claimant has been awarded for a single condition.  (2) Data have been rounded to the nearest 5. "—" refers to a value of zero, while "*" refers to a negligible value (greater than zero, but less than five). Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding.  (3) Under the AFCS, individuals have up to 5 years in which to make a claim. The figures shown in the table reflect the year in which the claim was decided, not necessarily the year in which the injury occurred.

Armed Forces: Courts

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who controls and operates 2 Providence Court; how many  (a) US Army personnel,  (b) US Navy personnel,  (c) US Marines personnel,  (d) US Air Force personnel,  (e) US civilians and  (f) US contractors are working there; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The United States Air Force 501st Combat Support Wing at RAF Alconbury has administrative responsibility for 2 Providence Court. Control of the personnel based there is the responsibility of their individual chains of command.
	There are no US army, navy, marine or air force personnel working at 2 Providence Court. There are 10 US civilians and seven US contractors working there.

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the expenditure of his Department has been on payments to the Priory Group for mental health treatment of service personnel in each year since 2003;
	(2)  how many service personnel have received mental health treatment from the Priory Group in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: In-patient care for service personnel with mental health problems is provided in specialised psychiatric units under a contract with the Priory Group. An interim arrangement was signed with the Priory Group commencing in December 2003. The full contract, whereby the Priory Group became the default provider of in-patient mental health provision, commenced on 1 April 2004.
	The data requested, up until 30 September 2007, can be found in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of patients treated  Contract value (£ million) 
			 1 December 2003 to 31 March 2004 58 0.4 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 321 4.2 
			 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 351 4.5 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 305 3.4 
			 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007 160 1.9 
		
	
	These figures take into account the cost of assessing patients as well as any treatment programmes provided; the individual care needs of each patient will vary depending on their particular medical circumstances.
	The Priory contract replaced the care provided by MOD's Duchess of Kent Psychiatric Hospital at Catterick, whose costs in its final year of operation were some £10 million.

Armed Forces: Secondment

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which staff from his Department of each grade are on secondment to EU military bodies.

Bob Ainsworth: 18 military personnel are currently on secondment from the UK Ministry of Defence to the EU military staff (EUMS). This figure comprises a Lieutenant General, currently the Director-General of the EUMS, 11 officers at Lieutenant-Colonel or equivalent rank, one officer at the rank of army captain or equivalent and five non-commissioned officers.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what options his Department is considering for Package Two of the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme.

Bob Ainsworth: As the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, (Derek Twigg) stated in his written ministerial statement on 25 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 14-15WS, we will continue to consider a range of options for Package 2. These options will vary from adaptations to Metrix' original PFI proposals, through to a full conventional procurement. This work to develop an affordable project will continue to focus on how best to improve our accommodation and training, and meet our commitments following the review to improve the support, welfare and wellbeing of our trainees. An update on the programme will be provided next year when this work has matured.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pairs of cold weather boots were issued to service personnel who were in Afghanistan on 1st October 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: The majority of personnel in Afghanistan on 1 October were due to leave theatre during that month having served during the hot summer months. Consequently they were not equipped with cold weather boots.
	All personnel who had recently deployed with the intention of remaining in theatre during the winter were issued with a pair of cold weather boots prior to deployment. Additional stocks of cold weather boots are also held in theatre to cover any personnel who required the issue of boots or replacements in theatre.
	1 October 2007 fell during the Relief in Place between 12 Mechanised Brigade and 52 Infantry Brigade with the number of personnel in theatre fluctuating on a daily basis, and therefore the exact number cannot be provided without disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what items of cold weather clothing will be issued to the next roulement of British service personnel in Afghanistan; and what quantity of each item will be supplied.

Bob Ainsworth: All units deploying on operations are entitled to draw upon a vast range of clothing prior to their deployment, including cold weather supplements as appropriate. These have already been made available to the units who deployed to Afghanistan in October. In addition, substantial stocks of cold weather clothing have been sent to both Iraq and Afghanistan. The following items are available as supplementary cold weather clothing:
	Cold Weather Boots
	Thermal Jacket
	Thermal Trousers
	Extreme Cold Weather Hat
	Extreme Cold Weather Wristlets
	Extreme Cold Weather Mitten Inners
	Extreme Cold Weather Mitten Outers
	Extreme Cold Weather Socks
	Face Mask
	Windproof Desert Trousers
	Moisture Vapour Permeable Desert Jacket
	Moisture Vapour Permeable Desert Trousers
	The actual quantity of each item issued to a particular operation or exercise is not available. Moreover, some personnel already have elements of specialist equipment due to previous tours or exercises.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the brand and type is of the standard issue of boots given to service personnel before going on operations in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: Since July 2007, in both Theatres, the Meindl Desert Fox Combat Boot is issued as standard. Magnum Light Weight Urban Patrolling Boots are also available as necessary for certain tasks. Pro-Boot or Prabus cold weather boots are issued as required. Additionally, where they are needed, Magnum Safety Boots are also available.

Cambrian Patrol

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will put in place measures to commemorate the 50th anniversary in 2009 of the first training exercise now known as the Ex Cambrian Patrol;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Ex Cambrian Patrol Army training programme for  (a) British participants and  (b) participants from overseas countries; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will ensure that sufficient resources are made available to enable the Ex Cambrian Patrol Army training event to take place in 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: Exercise Cambrian Patrol is normally run each year in mid Wales and is based on a long-range patrol within a realistic tactical scenario. It tests military skills, with a focus on leadership, teamwork, physical fitness and achieving the mission. It attracts considerable interest and participation from both the UK and other nations, who regard it as a valuable training opportunity.
	We recognise that participation in competitions is important to members of the armed forces. Based on current plans, Cambrian Patrol will not take place in 2008, although similarly challenging training opportunities will be available.
	There are currently no plans to hold any commemorative events to mark the 50th anniversary of the exercise which is scheduled to take place in 2009.

Chad: EC Defence Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what NATO assets will be used for the EU mission to Chad and the Central African Republic under the  (a) 2003 Berlin Plus Arrangements and  (b) 2002 NATO-EU Declaration on European Security and Defence Policy; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: There are no plans to use NATO assets for the forthcoming ESDP mission to Chad and the Central African Republic.
	Under the terms of the 2002 NATO-EU Declaration on ESDP the EU has briefed non-EU European members of NATO on the forthcoming mission.

Consolidated Fund

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what on a near cash basis was the value of  (a) request for resources one and  (b) request for resources two (i) operating income and (ii) non-operating income that was (A) appropriated-in-aid and (B) paid to the Consolidated Fund in financial years 2001-02 to 2006-07;
	(2)  what the subheads are of the  (a) operating appropriations-in-aid and  (b) non-operating appropriations-in-aid outturn for each of his Department's Request for Resources in (i) near cash and (ii) non-cash terms in each year from 2001-02 to 2006-07.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the then Secretary of State for Defence gave on 13 February 2006,  Official Report, columns 1581-82W; the answers my predecessor gave on 7 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 1636-42W and 5 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1283-85W; and the answer I gave on 10 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 1889-93W, which broke down the Defence budget by near- and non-cash. All operating income and non operating income are near-cash. Payments to the consolidated funds can be found in the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many improvised explosive device jammers have been purchased by his Department in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: I can confirm that the MOD has the capability to counter radio controlled improvised explosive devices and that it is being used in theatres of operation. I am withholding details about the numbers of such equipment purchased as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pieces of surveillance and target acquisition equipment of each type there were in the armed forces in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the central supply Government estimates 2007-08: supplementary budget information, if he will break down his Department's supplementary budget table in  (a) near cash and  (b) non-cash terms.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department does not hold this information in the form requested and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The public expenditure statistical analysis (PESA) publication, however, provides a useful near-cash/non-cash split for departmental expenditure limits.

Departmental Expenditure

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department spent on office refurbishment and repairs in each year since 1996-97.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the subheads are of the  (a) Main Estimate,  (b) Winter Supplementary Estimate and  (c) Winter Supplementary Estimate (i) operating appropriations-in-aid and (ii) non-operating appropriations-in-aid provision for each of his Department's Request for Resources in (A) near cash and (B) non-cash terms in each of the financial years 2001-02 to 2006-07;
	(2)  what the subheads are of the Main Estimate  (a) operating appropriations-in-aid and  (b) non-operating appropriations-in-aid provision for each of his Department's Request for Resources in (i) near cash and (ii) non-cash terms in 2007-08.

Bob Ainsworth: All operating income and non-operating income are near cash. Details of the operating and non-operating appropriations-in-aid can be found in the respective published Estimates.

Departmental Property

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of his Department's land has been sold in the last five years; and what money was received from the sales.

Bob Ainsworth: Details of defence land sold in the last five financial years are:
	
		
			  Financial year  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Gross accrued receipts in £ million 278 207 212 258 394 
			 Sites sold 165 150 133 122 94 
			 Total area in hectares 1,144 814 1,387 1,860 1,594 
		
	
	The disposal figures shown include receipts from the release of overseas property.

HMS Illustrious

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of time  (a) HMS Illustrious and  (b) HMS Ark Royal were (i) on operations and (ii) undergoing maintenance in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 5 November 2007, (D/Min (AF)/BA PQ03726T/LN), a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many improvised explosive device jammers are  (a) installed and  (b) not installed in vehicles in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in every year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: I can confirm that equipment to counter radio controlled improvised explosive devices is installed in vehicles used in operational theatres. I am withholding details of the numbers or locations of vehicles that are so equipped as disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pieces of surveillance and target acquisition equipment are in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan; and where each is located.

Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many joint strike fighters will be used for  (a) system development and demonstration,  (b) evaluation,  (c) instructor training and  (d) operational conversion unit.

Bob Ainsworth: Current plans are that 19 joint strike fighters will be used for the system development and demonstration (SDD) for JSF. The UK share for these are covered by our fixed $2 billion contribution to SDD. The UK's contribution to the joint operational test and evaluation of JSF with the US services is two aircraft. Instructor training will be conducted through a combination of simulator training and use of operational conversion unit aircraft and the UK operational conversion unit will build over time to 16 aircraft. Other than the SDD aircraft the UK has made no commitments to purchase aircraft and we will continue to monitor requirements as the programme matures.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) C-17 Globemaster,  (b) C-130K Hercules,  (c) C-130J Hercules,  (d) Tristar and  (e) VC-10 aircraft are (i) in service with the RAF and (ii) fit for purpose.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 509W.
	The numbers of C-130J, C-130K, VC10, Tristar and C-17 fit for purpose for the financial year to 31 October 2007 are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Aircraft type  Numbers of aircraft fit for purpose (average for financial year to 31 October 2007( 1) ) 
			 C-130J 16 
			 C-130K 10 
			 VC10 8 
			 Tristar 5 
			 C-17 3 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 
		
	
	Aircraft that are available for immediate deployment are fit for purpose; they are capable of undertaking the required task on a given day. Aircraft are not available for tasking if they are undergoing scheduled maintenance, modification programmes or any other unforeseen rectification work that can arise on a day to day basis. The figures do not reflect the fact that an aircraft assessed as not fit for purpose may be returned to the front line at very short notice to meet the operational need.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total  (a) planned and  (b) actual usage hours for the (i) C-17 Globemaster, (ii) C-130K Hercules, (iii) C-130J Hercules, (iv) Tristar and (v) VC-10 aircraft were in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: The total number of planned and actual hours for the C-17, Hercules (C130J and C130K), Tristar and VC10 aircraft for each of the financial years 2002-03 to 2006-07 are contained in the following table:
	
		
			  Aircraft type  Planned  Actual 
			  2002-03   
			 C-17 3,000 5,745 
			 C130J/K 37,458 39,871 
			 Tristar 9,561 10,603 
			 VC10 11,550 11,413 
			
			  2003-04   
			 C-17 4,000 5,592 
			 C130J/K 37,458 35,173 
			 Tristar 9,561 8,879 
			 VC10 11,550 13,145 
			
			  2004-05   
			 C-17 5,800 5,727 
			 C130J/K 34,958 30,640 
			 Tristar 10,561 8,657 
			 VC10 10,550 10,773 
			
			  2005-06   
			 C-17 5,800 6,375 
			 C130J/K 34,958 27,906 
			 Tristar 11,191 7,693 
			 VC10 9,920 11,814 
			
			  2006-07( 1)   
			 C-17 5,800 — 
			 C130J/K 34,958 — 
			 Tristar 11,561 — 
			 VC10 9,550 — 
			 (1) We do not hold confirmed and validated figures for the actual hours flown for the financial year 2006 to 2007.

Military Attachés

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will assess the impact of the redeployment of defence attachés from UK embassies and overseas missions on the level of intelligence gathered.

Bob Ainsworth: The redeployment of defence attachés will have no impact on the ability of the Ministry of Defence to obtain the intelligence we require.

Red Arrows: Finance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what spending plans are being made for the Red Arrows from 2010 to 2012.

Bob Ainsworth: None of the budgets within the Department for financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12 have been determined. Decisions on this will be taken at the end of the current planning round in spring 2008.

Warships

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the highest gapped unit percentage was for a Royal Navy vessel in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  what the highest gapped unit percentage was for a Royal Navy vessel in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: Detailed statistics of manpower gapping for Royal Navy ships are not held centrally. Manning levels of ships are adjusted according to their task. They routinely operate gapped posts as a result of personnel being ashore for training, medical, or compassionate reasons, or assigned to higher priority tasking elsewhere.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Exports: Food

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the value of British food and drink exports to India in the last year for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: HMRC overseas trade statistics record UK exports to India of food, live animals and beverages worth £33.9 million in 2006.

Motor Sports

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he last met  (a) the board of Motorsport Development UK and  (b) other representatives of the British motor sports industry.

Stephen Timms: There have not been any recent meetings with BERR Ministers, but I will be meeting with the chairman of Motorsport Development UK on 10 December.

Motorsport Development UK

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what motorsport experience was required for members of the board of Motorsport Development UK in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: Motorsport Development UK's advisory board consists of senior people and academics with broad business based experience including, but not limited to: a track record in motorsport (both two and four wheel); an understanding of economic issues affecting the sector; good network of contacts within the motorsport and/or related industries; analytical and communication skills, ability to work as part of a diverse team; and sound judgement and objectivity, drive and determination.

Motorsport Development UK

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received on the  (a) role,  (b) work and  (c) effectiveness of Motorsport Development UK.

Stephen Timms: Since the launch of Motorsport Development UK in 2003, there have been a number of meetings with Government Ministers and senior officials—most recently with Richard Caborn in March 2007. 1 will be meeting with the chairman, Bob Gilbert, on 10 December.

Motorsport Development UK

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which international exhibitions have been attended by representatives of Motorsport Development UK; at which such exhibitions the organisation maintained a stand; and how much was spent on such activities in each of the last three years.

Stephen Timms: Motorsport Development UK has not actively participated in, or directly funded, any overseas international exhibition within the past three years.

Motorsport Development UK

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what priorities and objectives he has set for Motorsport Development UK; and what expenditure it has incurred in each of the last three years, broken down by main budget heading.

Stephen Timms: Following the recommendations of the Motorsport Competitiveness Panel in 2003, Motorsport Development UK has supported a number of programmes to strengthen the sport and its related industry, the main headings of which are as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Motorsport Academy 3.1 
			 Learning Grid 3.5 
			 Energy Efficient Motorsport 1.7 
			 Business Development l.0 
			 Widening Participation 0.8 
		
	
	The funding indicated has been received from a number of sources including BERR and the four regional development agencies, which make up the bulk of 'Motorsport Valley'—EMDA, AWM, EEDA and SEEDA. The funding relates to monies expended or contractually committed.

Post Offices

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has  (a) made and  (b) evaluated of the potential effects on remaining post offices as a result of the Post Office Ltd. closure programme; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: It is expected that business migrating from offices which close will improve the viability of remaining post offices. Post Office Ltd's local decisions will need to reflect the Government's aim of supporting a national network of post offices and to comply with the access criteria requirements set by Government.

Post Offices

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans his Department has to provide extra capacity at post offices that act as alternative branches under Post Office Ltd. closure programme; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Offices

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations his Department has made to Post Office Ltd. on taking account of future population and demographic projections in plans for post office closures; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Government have made a requirement on Post Office Ltd to meet a number of minimum access criteria, and in applying the criteria Post Office Ltd will be required to consider local demographics.

Post Offices

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if his Department will make representations to Post Office Ltd. on taking into account deprivation at local government ward level when considering post office closures; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Government recognise the important social and economic role of the network. The requirement on Post Office Ltd. to meet a number of minimum access criteria includes additional protections for deprived urban areas and remote rural communities, to ensure people have reasonable access across the whole country.

Post Offices: Closures

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effects of proposed post office closures on the local communities in London where post offices have been proposed for closure; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: It is not possible to say which offices will close until Post Office Ltd has drawn up implementation plans and local consultations have taken place. However when developing detailed area plans with input from Postwatch, local authorities and sub-postmasters, Post Office Ltd will take into account the need to meet the national access criteria as well as local geography and factors such as availability of public transport, alternative access to key post office services, local demographics and the impact on local communities.

Post Offices: Closures

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the annual savings are that are anticipated to accrue to the Post Office from those post offices so far proposed for closure, broken down by  (a) each post office area and  (b) each proposed closure.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Offices: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many transactions over post office counters in the city of York there were in each of the last five years; what the value was of each; how much the Post Office charges for each payment made to local authorities over post office counters; and which local authorities  (a) pay the charge in whole,  (b) pay part of the charge on behalf of the customer and  (c) require the customer to pay the charge in full.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many adults  (a) enrolled in adult and community learning programmes and  (b) participated in further education in Suffolk in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: Figures for those participating in adult and community learning (ACL) programmes and further education (FE) can be derived from the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The following table shows the number of LSC funded adult learners in Suffolk local LSC area on ACL programmes since 2003/04 and in FE since 2002/03. The LSC's FE ILR was collated for the first time at local LSC level in 2002/03 and figures are given from that time. ACL returns do not go back earlier than 2003/04 with the same degree of accuracy.
	
		
			  Number of adult learners in ACL and FE in Suffolk local LSC area 
			   ACL  FE 
			 2002/03 — 28,163 
			 2003/04 16,115 30,756 
			 2004/05 14,855 27,904 
			 2005/06 13,705 22,684

Apprentices

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many of the employers signed up to the apprenticeship programme are engaged in the provision of training as their main economic activity.

David Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 16 April 2007,  Official Report, column 286W.

Departmental Expenditure

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will place in the Library a breakdown of his Department's efficiency savings in relation to its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets, including  (a) the efficiency projects in the Department,  (b) the date on which each of these projects was initiated and  (c) how much was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills came into existence in 2007, with its predecessors being parts of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Education and Skills. As a result, the efficiency savings programmes for SR04 were initiated by these two Departments. An answer describing the full programmes for each has been prepared in response to your inquiry by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many staff are presently seconded to his Department from outside Government, broken down by the  (a) outside body from which they have been seconded and  (b) length of secondment.

David Lammy: A total of 11 staff are seconded to my Department from a range of organisations as listed in the following table. The secondments are normally for a period of up to two years.
	
		
			  Organisation  Number of secondees 
			 Hertfordshire County Council 1 
			 BBC 1 
			 Edexcel 1 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 1 
			 STFC 3 
			 RAL 1 
			 Met Office 1 
			 NERC 1 
			 One North East 1

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many fixed penalty tickets have been incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department for the last year for which figures are available; and what their total cost was.

David Lammy: No fixed penalty tickets have been incurred by vehicles within the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families formally known as the Department for Education and Skills.

European University Institute

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what involvement his Department has with the work of the European University Institute; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Officials from my Department act as members of the High Council (governing body) of the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence and of its budgetary committee. These bodies generally meet twice each year. The presidency of the EUI rotates on an annual basis and from April 2008 the UK will chair these meetings.

Further Education Reporting and Performance Board

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will make a statement on the work of the Further Education Reporting and Performance Board.

Bill Rammell: The Further Education Reform and Performance Board is part of the programme architecture established to manage the Skills PSA. It is chaired by DIUS and has representatives from the sector including DCSF and our main delivery partners the LSC, Association of Colleges, Ofsted, Association of Learning Providers, Quality Improvement Agency, Sixth Form College Forum, Local Government Association, Lifelong Learning UK and the 157 group. The board's role is assuring the readiness to respond to key priorities for the FE supply side, taking account of views from across the sector. It reports into the over arching Skills PSA board along with: HE Strategic Delivery and Financial Support, Leitch Implementation and Skills Strategy, Vocational Qualifications Reform, Apprenticeships and Communications and Customer Insight.

Galileo

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what discussions he has had with industry on the criteria used to appraise UK involvement with the Galileo system; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Since my appointment I have had a number of meetings and discussions with industry on UK space activities. These have covered a range of space issues including Galileo. Additionally, there are regular discussions between my officials and UK industry both formally through the British National Space Centre's (BNSC) Telecommunications and Navigation Advisory Board and informally with individual companies and industry organisations such as UKSpace.

Galileo: Performance Standards

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what criteria he will use to assess the performance of the Galileo system.

Ian Pearson: Galileo has been jointly developed by the European Union and the European Space Agency (ESA). The main characteristics of the system were agreed by the Council of European Transport Ministers at its meeting on 9-10 December 2004. ESA is responsible for the technical development of the system and is currently managing the In-Orbit Validation (IOV) phase of the programme. It is this phase which is intended to demonstrate the potential of the system to provide services and benefits to the UK, Europe and globally.

Higher Education: Eastern Region

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of young people from  (a) the East of England and  (b) Suffolk undertook (i) degrees and (ii) other advanced courses at university in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the following table. Figures for 2006/07 will be available in January 2008.
	
		
			  English domiciled young( 1)  entrants to higher education institutions by domicile and level of study—UK higher education institutions( 2) , academic years 2001/02 to 2005/06 
			Domicile 
			Country  Government office region  Local authority 
			  Level of study  Academic year  England  East  Suffolk 
			 First degree 2001/02 194,965 19,950 2,220 
			  2002/03 201,835 20,365 2,295 
			  2003/04 203,310 22,000 2,220 
			  2004/05 206,925 21,210 2,345 
			  2005/06 223,905 23,110 2,590 
			  
			 Other undergraduate 2001/02 28,575 2,975 275 
			  2002/03 26,260 2,835 270 
			  2003/04 25,195 2,690 250 
			  2004/05 27,345 3,095 265 
			  2005/06 28,435 2,880 255 
			 (1) Young refers to undergraduates aged 20 and under. (2) Excludes the Open University.  Note: The figures are on a HESA Standard Registration Population basis and are rounded to the nearest five. They cover students on all modes of study.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 
		
	
	The Government's main measure of participation in Higher Education is the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR). This is the sum of the HE initial participation rates for individual ages between 17 and 30 inclusive. It covers English-domiciled first time entrants to HE courses, which are expected to last for at least six months, at UK Higher Education Institutions and English, Scottish and Welsh Further Education Colleges, and who remain on their course for at least six months. The HEIPR is not available for smaller areas.
	Figures for the young 17 to 20 age group are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Higher Education Initial Participation Rate for 17 to 20-year-olds (HEIPR20) 
			   HEIPR20 (percentage)  Number of initial participants 
			 2001/02 33 (32.5) 194,000 
			 2002/03 33 (32.7) 201,000 
			 2003/04 32 (31.8) 204,000 
			 2004/05 32 (32.1) 209,000 
			 2005/06 34 (34.0) 226,000 
			  Note: The HEIPR is usually published to the nearest integer, but the figures are included to one decimal place to inform comparisons over time. Numbers are quoted to the nearest 1,000.  Source: "Participation Rates in Higher Education: Academic Years 1999/2000—2005/06 (Provisional)", published by DfES

Higher Education: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the impact that the phasing out of funding for students taking equivalent or lower qualifications at university from 2008-09 will have on the delivery of the objectives of the Leitch review of skills;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact that phasing out funding for students taking equivalent or lower qualifications at university from 2008-09 will have on institutions with a high proportion of part-time and mature learners;
	(3)  which organisations were consulted prior to the decision being made to phase out funding for students taking equivalent or lower qualifications at university from 2008-09; and when each was consulted.

Bill Rammell: We are not cutting funding from higher education. We took this decision as part of the comprehensive spending review in order to target resources on our top priorities and the country's long term needs. While the policy has been set, we have asked HEFCE to consult widely on how it should be implemented. Our policy not only responds to the challenge in the Leitch report to increase the proportion of the work force with higher level skills from under 30 per cent. now to over 40 per cent. by 2020 but is also fairer to both taxpayers and students who have not yet entered higher education. Many of those in the work force without higher level skills may be mature learners who wish to study part-time. The overall effect of these changes on the income of individual institutions will depend on how successful they are in attracting students who meet our priorities. Every institution will have an incentive to maximise its share of the £100 million which will be redistributed through this change.

Higher Education: Mature Students

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time mature students enrolled on a higher education course in each year since 2001;
	(2)  how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time students enrolled in higher education courses in each year since 2001.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The latest available information is shown in the following table. Figures for 2006/07 will be available in January 2008.
	
		
			  UK domiciled enrolments by mode of study, level of study and age—English higher education institutions, academic years 2001/02 to 2005/06 
			Postgraduates  Undergraduates 
			  Academic year  Mode of study  Total  O f which:  Mature( 1)  Total  O f which:  Mature( 2) 
			 2001/02 Full-time 86,210 43,570 773,515 307,820 
			  Part-time 203,640 187,420 458,080 439,765 
			  Total 289,850 230,985 7,237,595 747,585 
			 2002/03 Full-time 90,595 44,640 803,025 325,205 
			  Part-time 207,165 190,020 473,675 455,300 
			  Total 297,760 234,665 7,276,700 780,505 
			   
			 2003/04 Full-time 93,940 46,120 823,145 335,725 
			  Part-time 212,850 193,955 484,020 464,290 
			  Total 306,785 240,075 7,307,760 800,020 
			   
			 2004/05 Full-time 93,220 45,985 838,145 341,855 
			  Part-time 213,865 194,100 482,300 460,795 
			  Total 307,085 240,085 7,320,445 802,645 
			   
			 2005/06 Full-time 96,845 48,935 865,560 346,655 
			  Part-time 213,920 194,395 484,305 460,125 
			  Total 310,765 243,330 7,349,865 806,785 
			 (1) Mature postgraduates are 25 and over. (2) Mature undergraduates are 21 and over.  Note: The figures are on a HESA Standard Registration Population basis and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Science and Innovation Policies of Government Review

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much of the £1 billion announced on the publication of the conclusions of the Sainsbury Review, to be spent on business innovation and technology development, is additional resources not previously  (a) announced and  (b) allocated.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 12 November 2007
	 The Technology Strategy Board will develop and lead a strategic programme worth £1 billion over the next three years (the upcoming CSR period), in partnership with the Research Councils and the regional development agencies (RDA). This includes £180 million which will be earmarked by the RDAs and £120 million by the research councils to spend jointly on activities with the TSB. The £1 billion is all new money not previously announced or allocated.

Space Systems

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills for what reasons single source procurement of space systems is used; and what the evidential basis is for this providing best value.

Ian Pearson: The UK Government have not independently procured any space systems for many years and have no current plans to do so. Departments like the MOD procure space enabled services on a regular basis, and this can involve the purchase of hardware, especially in the ground segment (e.g. MilSatCom handsets). In all cases, standard Government procurement policies are followed to ensure value for money.
	The UK is a member of the European Space Agency (ESA) which does procure space systems. ESA procurements are undertaken within a geo-return framework, but are subject to affordability within the overall programme subscription and VFM through competition at both prime and sub-prime (sub-system) levels (and sometimes also below this). BNSC provides two delegates to the ESA Industrial Policy Committee which scrutinises and authorises all major procurements.

Student Wastage

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the  (a) drop-out and  (b) failure rate for young people attempting level 3 qualifications was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The Learning and Skills Council collect data on learners enrolling on level 3 qualifications in further education (in general further education and tertiary colleges, sixth form colleges and external institutions). Drop-out and failure rates are not calculated, but retention rates and success rates are shown in Table 1 for those aged 16 to 18 studying towards a level 3 qualification with expected end year 2005/06.
	
		
			  Table 1: Success and Retention Rates for 16 to 18-year-olds enrolled on level 3 qualifications (excluding A/AS levels) in colleges, with expected end year 2005/06 
			  Qualification Type  Starts (excluding transfers)  Success  r ate( 1)  (percentage)  Retention r ate( 2)  (percentage) 
			 A Level 6,400 78 87 
			 A2 212,600 92 95 
			 AS 414,600 75 88 
			 GNVQ 27,000 70 76 
			 NVQ 9,900 70 81 
			 Other long qualifications 145,200 67 77 
			 Short: 5 to 24 weeks 15,200 77 93 
			 Short: Less than 5 weeks 1,500 84 98 
			 (1) Success rate is calculated as the number of aims achieved as a percentage of starts. (2) Retention rate is calculated as the number completing as a percentage of starts.  Source: Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record. 
		
	
	Equivalent data for those studying A/AS/A2 levels at school are not available. Student numbers achieving A levels in schools and colleges are reported in the DCSF Achievement and Attainment Tables, but different methodologies and timescales are used. Table 2 shows A level results of students aged 16 to 18 in schools and colleges taken from the Statistical First Release (SFR): GCE/VCE A/AS and Equivalent Examination Results in England (consistent with the Achievement and Attainment Tables data).
	
		
			 Table 2: GCE A level examination results of 16 to 18-year-old(1) students 
			   Total entries  Ungraded, no award (absent/declined) and pending (percentage) 
			 2005/06 715,072 2.9 
			 2006/07 720,083 2.7 
			 (1) Age at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August.   Source: GCE/VCE A/AS and Equivalent Examination Results in England, 2005/06 and 2006/07.

Students: Finance

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the potential effect of his decision to withdraw Equal and Lower Qualification student funding on the income of  (a) Birkbeck College and  (b) the Open University.

Bill Rammell: We took this decision as part of the comprehensive spending review in order to target resources on our top priorities and the country's long-term needs. Our policy not only responds to the challenge in the Leitch report to increase the proportion of the work force with higher level skills from under 30 per cent. now to over 40 per cent. by 2020 but is also fairer to both taxpayers and students who have not yet entered higher education. The overall effect of these changes on the income of individual institutions will depend on how successful they are in attracting students who meet our priorities. Every institution will have an incentive to maximise its share of the £100 million which will be redistributed through this change and no complete assessment of these changes on any institution can be made until that £100 million has been redistributed.

JUSTICE

Appeals: Asylum

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms are available to asylum seekers who have had cases heard by judges  (a) Illyas Khan and  (b) J and believe inappropriate considerations were taken into account.

Bridget Prentice: If a party to an appeal before the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal believes that an Immigration Judge has made an error of law for whatever reason, he or she can apply to the Tribunal for the decision to be reconsidered within the time limits provided by the Procedure Rules. If such an application is late, the appellant must advance good reasons to justify an extension of time.

Arrests: Hunting

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been  (a) arrested,  (b) charged and  (c) convicted for offences under the Hunting Act 2005, broken down by police force area.

Maria Eagle: The arrests collection held by my Department provides data on persons arrested only for recorded crime (notifiable offences). Summary offences under the Hunting Act 2004 are not included within this category.
	Data on the number of offenders charged are not held by my department; however I can confirm there were three defendants proceeded against under the Hunting Act 2004 in England and Wales, all of whom were found guilty. Of these, two were prosecuted in Thames Valley and one in Merseyside police force area.
	Data for 2006 will be available from the 29 November 2007.

Compensation: Lung Diseases

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals in response to the outcome of Johnston v NEI International Combustion Limited, and related cases, to enable those with pleural plaques to receive compensation; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member to my reply, 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 798W. The House of Lords considered the issues very thoroughly on the basis of all the evidence put before them and reached the unanimous decision that pleural plaques do not constitute actionable or compensatable damage. Having considered the judgment very carefully, the Government have decided that it would not be appropriate to legislate on the issue.

Coroners: Armed Forces

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the dates in chronological order are of the inquests of  (a) Guardsman Simon Davison,  (b) Guardsman Daniel Probyn,  (c) Guardsman Neil Downes,  (d) Guardsman Daryl Hickey and  (e) Guardsman David Atherton of the 1(st) Battalion Grenadier Guards.

Bridget Prentice: Guardsman Davison's inquest opened on 8 November in the South Staffordshire coroner's jurisdiction. No dates have yet been fixed for the inquests into the deaths of Guardsmen Probyn, Downes, Hickey and Atherton, who died in Afghanistan between 23 May and 26 July this year. These inquests will be held in the Black Country, the South Manchester, the Birmingham and Solihull and the Manchester city coroners' jurisdictions respectively.

Coroners: Armed Forces

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the dates in chronological order are of the inquests of  (a) Private Chris Gray,  (b) Lance Corporal George Russell Davey,  (c) Corporal Darren Bonner,  (d) Lance Corporal Alex Hawkins,  (e) Private Tony Rawson,  (f) Captain David Hicks,  (g) Private Aaron James McClure,  (h) Private Robert Graham Foster and  (i) Private John Thrumble of the 1(st) Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

Bridget Prentice: Lance Corporal Davey's inquest was held on 2 November 2007 in the Greater Suffolk coroner's jurisdiction, and the verdict was accidental death. No dates have yet been fixed for the inquests into the deaths of the other service personnel mentioned in the question who died in Afghanistan between 13 April and 23 August 2007. The inquests into the deaths of Private Chris Gray, Corporal Bonner, Lance Corporal Hawkins and Private Rawson will be held in the Leicester City and South Leicestershire, North London, Greater Norfolk and East London coroners' jurisdictions respectively. The inquests into Captain Hicks and the inquests into Privates McClure, Foster and Thrumble will be held together in the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner's jurisdiction.

Coroners: Armed Forces

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the dates in chronological order are of the inquests of  (a) Private Ben Ford,  (b) Private Damian Wright,  (c) Private Johan Botha,  (d) Sergeant Craig Brelsford,  (e) Private Brian Tunnicliffe of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment and  (f) Colour Sergeant Phillip Newman of 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment.

Bridget Prentice: No dates have yet been fixed for the inquests into the deaths of these service personnel who died in Afghanistan between 5 and 20 September this year. Their inquests will all be held in the Wiltshire coroner's jurisdiction.

Coroners: Armed Forces

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the dates in chronological order are of the inquests of  (a) Lance Corporal Paul Sandford,  (b) Drummer Thomas Wright and  (c) Captain Sean Dolan of the 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters.

Bridget Prentice: No dates have yet been fixed for the inquests into the deaths of these service personnel who died in Afghanistan between 6 June and 30 June this year. Their inquests will be heard in the Nottinghamshire, Derby and South Derbyshire and the Cheshire coroners' jurisdictions respectively.

Coroners: Armed Forces

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the dates in chronological order are of the inquests of  (a) Corporal Mike Gilyeat of Royal Military Police,  (b) Sergeant Dave Wilkinson of 19 Regiment Royal Artillery,  (c) Sergeant Barry Keen of 14 Signal Regiment,  (d) Corporal Ivano Violino of 36 Engineer Regiment and  (e) Major Alexis Roberts of 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles.

Bridget Prentice: No dates have yet been fixed for the inquests into the deaths of these service personnel who died in Afghanistan between 30 May and 4 October this year. The inquests into the deaths of Corporal Gilyeat, Sergeant Wilkinson and Major Roberts will be heard in the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner's jurisdiction. Sergeant Keen's and Corporal Violino's inquests will be heard in the Gateshead and South Tyneside and the North West Kent coroners' jurisdictions respectively.

Coroners: Armed Forces

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many military inquests have not been completed.

Bridget Prentice: As of 9 November, 122 military inquests of fatalities from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have not yet been completed. Four inquests have been completed since the written ministerial statement published in both Houses on 30 October. Full details of progress with the overseas military inquests are set out in that statement.

Coroners: Heathrow Airport

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many bodies of UK citizens were returned to the UK via Heathrow Airport in each year from 2000 to 2006; and which coroner's jurisdictions received them.

Bridget Prentice: This information is not held centrally and following inquiries with coroners and international funeral directors I can confirm that this information is not available from other sources. I will write to the hon. Member to explain the reasons for this and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

Coroners: London

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many out of England certificates have been signed by the coroner, deputy coroner and assistant deputy coroner in each London jurisdiction in each year from 2000 to 2006.

Bridget Prentice: This information is not held centrally. I am making inquiries with the coroners concerned and will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible. I will place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

Crown Courts: Aylesbury

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases Aylesbury Crown Court dealt with in each of the last five years; and from which unitary authority each case came.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of court cases dealt with by the unitary authority each case came from is not available.
	The following table shows the number of cases committed and sent for trial dealt with by Aylesbury Crown Court in each of the last five years by the name of the committing magistrates' court.
	
		
			  Number of trial cases dealt with by Aylesbury Crown Court 2002 - 06, by committing magistrates court 
			  Name of  magistrates court  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  Total 
			 Milton Keynes 210 166 153 189 240 958 
			 Wycombe and Beaconsfield 93 151 157 143 170 714 
			 Central Buckinghamshire (Aylesbury) 128 95 115 128 134 600 
			 Other 3 0 2 3 1 9 
			 Transfer Certificate(1) 11 2 0 0 0 13 
			 Voluntary Bill1 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 (1) A transfer certificate or voluntary bill do not have a committing magistrates' court.

Custodial Treatment: Children

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children of age  (a) 10,  (b) 11,  (c) 12 and  (d) 13 were held in custody (i) on remand and (ii) after being convicted of an offence in (A) 2004, (B) 2005 and (C) 2006; and what the average length of detention was in each of those years.

David Hanson: The following table shows the number of young people in custody on remand or under sentence as at 30 June in the three years in question. Young people in this age range are accommodated in either a secure children's home or secure training centre. The data has been supplied by the Youth Justice Board.
	
		
			   Age  10  Age  11  Age  12  Age  13 
			   Sentenced  Remanded  Sentenced  Remanded  Sentenced  Remanded  Sentenced  Remanded 
			 2004 0 0 1 0 9 4 43 6 
			 2005 0 0 1 0 10 2 35 6 
			 2006 0 0 0 0 12 1 25 7 
		
	
	The following table shows the average length of detention in days of young people in custody on remand or under sentence as at 30 June in the three years in question, The data has been supplied by the Youth Justice Board.
	
		
			   Age  10  Age  11  Age  12  Age  13 
			   Sentenced  Remanded  Sentenced  Remanded  Sentenced  Remanded  Sentenced  Remanded 
			 2004 0 0 264 0 211 34 129 40 
			 2005 0 0 547 0 168 75 164 38 
			 2006 0 0 0 0 130 10 174 26

Custodial Treatment: Military Bases

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Government plan to introduce mobile holding cells or short-term jails on or near to defence bases.

David Hanson: The Government are looking at a range of options to ensure demand for prison places is met in the short term. Lord Carter of Coles has been appointed to review a range of issues on prison capacity and is due to report later this autumn.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will break down the figures referred to in the answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 804W, on Departments: official hospitality, to give the amounts spent on each function at which hospitality expenses were incurred.

Maria Eagle: The amount of hospitality expenditure incurred by the former Department for Constitutional Affairs, which covers costs for Her Majesty's Courts Service, Tribunals Service, Public Guardianship Office and DCA Headquarters, for 2006-07 was £46,002 made up of a large number of high volume, low value transactions.
	Of the £46,002 spent, just over £41,000 related to Her Majesty's Courts Service and was made up of 800 individual transactions which, with the exception of five, were all below £1,000.
	Expenditure by the Department on the more formal official functions is not accounted for under 'Hospitality'.
	All hospitality expenditure incurred by the Department is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, which are based on the principles set out in Government Accounting and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Highdown Prison: Prisoners Release

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners at HMP Prison Highdown were released within three  (a) days and  (b) weeks of commencing a sentence of six weeks or longer in the last six months.

David Hanson: The detailed records requested on the total numbers of prisoners released from specific establishments who meet the criteria specified are not collated centrally. It would incur disproportionate cost to check individual prisoner records at the establishment to confirm whether any individual cases met the specific criteria of the question.

HMP Channing Wood: Parole

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) convicted offences and  (b) nationalities were of the 34 people who received early releases since June 2007 from Channing Wood Prison, Denbury, South Devon.

David Hanson: It is not possible to determine the precise offence for each of the 34 prisoners released on ECL since 29 June 2007 from Channings Wood without incurring disproportionate cost. In this case individual case records at the establishment would need to be checked. We do not currently publish nationality as part of the ECL report.
	Foreign national prisoners who are liable to deportation at the end of their sentence are not eligible for release under the End of Custody Licence scheme. On average nationally some 6 per cent. of prisoners released on ECL are foreign nationals who did not meet the criteria for deportation.

Human Trafficking

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many victims of human trafficking  (a) are estimated to be in the UK and  (b) have been returned from the UK to their country of origin in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Trafficking is predominantly a covert crime and it is not possible to provide accurate figures on the number of victims. Home Office research on organised crime markets suggests that at any one time in 2003 there were up to 4,000 women trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation.
	Data on returns relating to victims of trafficking in the last five years is not held centrally. Many victims of trafficking want to return home and voluntary returns are always the preferred option for those who have no basis to remain in the UK. The Government works in partnership with the International Organization for Migration to run Assisted Voluntary Returns programmes that provide victims with resettlement support. Removal action is considered as a last resort.

Legal Aid Scheme: Foster Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received on the impact of changes in legal aid on residential family assessments and on the future of kinship care.

Maria Eagle: Between 1 March and 9 November 2007, my Department received seven representations on the removal of residential assessments from the scope of legal aid. The Legal Services Commission (LSC), who published a consultation on the subject, "The Funding Criteria for Child Care Proceedings", received 44 responses.
	The Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (formerly the Department for Education and Skills) consulted on revised draft guidance, "The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 1 Court Orders". This places an increased emphasis on preparation by local authorities prior to launching proceedings, ensuring that applications are made only after kinship placement options for the child have been explored. 29 responses were received to this consultation, which are now being considered. The DCSF has also published "Care Matters: Time for Change", which sets out the Government's intention to legislate to enable carers who are relatives to apply for residence orders in circumstances where a child has been living with them for a continuous period of at least one year.

Prison Service: Sick Leave

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much sick leave  (a) prison officers and  (b) other staff in each of the Welsh prison establishments (i) took in each year since 1997 and (ii) have taken in 2007 to date.

David Hanson: Information on the total amount of sickness absence taken by officer grade staff and all other grades in Welsh prisons is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Sickness absence taken in Welsh prisons (public sector) 
			   Cardiff working days lost  Swansea working days lost  Usk/Prescoed working days lost 
			  Year( 1)  Total  Per person  Total  Per person  Total  Per person 
			  Prison officers, senior officers and principal officers   
			 1999-2000 3,450 14.7 2,769 21.1 574 6.9 
			 2000-01 3,609 16.0 2,099 16.9 272 3.2 
			 2001-02 3,018 13.4 1,751 13.9 594 6.8 
			 2002-03 2,205 9.7 1,640 12.9 944 11.0 
			 2003-04 1,899 7.9 1,369 10.5 477 5.4 
			 2004-05 1,877 7.4 11,453 10.0 239 2.6 
			 2005-06 2,616 10.4 2,142 13.8 798 8.5 
			 2006-07 2,630 10.5 1,861 12.2 1,246 13.1 
			 April to September 2007(2) 1,221 9.4 934 12.3 569 12.4 
			
			  Other staff   
			 1999-2000 1,301 10.2 1,368 17.5 724 8.8 
			 2000-01 1,433 10.5 951 11.6 811 9.2 
			 2001-02 1,549 9.2 902 8.3 846 8.0 
			 2002-03 1,357 7.3 2,581 24.6 564 5.0 
			 2003-04 1,641 8.2 1,730 15.7 586 4.9 
			 2004-05 1,626 7.9 1,307 11.6 1,074 8.1 
			 2005-06 1,882 8.7 1,484 11.3 1,409 9.5 
			 2006-07 2,194 9.9 1,379 10.3 1,513 9.1 
			 April to September 2007(2) 949 9.5 446 6.7 360 5.2 
			 (1) Within the public sector reliable sickness absence data is only available from 1999-2000. (2) For 2007-08 the rate per person is an annualised rate. 
		
	
	
		
			  Sickness absence taken at HMP Parc (private sector) 
			   Parc( 1)  working days lost 
			   Officers  Other staff 
			 1997 104 22 
			 1998 932 278 
			 1999 1,032 378 
			 2000 1,615 398 
			 2001 1,931 938 
			 2002 2,572 1,177 
			 2003 2,941 1,130 
			 2004 3,312 1,458 
			 2005 2,950 1,696 
			 2006 2,209 1,280 
			 2007 1,683 1,189 
			 (1) Rate per person is not available.

Prisoners Release

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average licence period has been for prisoners released from prison before completing their sentence.

David Hanson: The information requested is available from table 10.1 (for adults aged 21+) and table 10.2 (for young offenders) of the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library, and the table can be found at the Home Department website:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk.
	For adult prisoners aged 21 or over, discharged in 2005 from prison establishments in England and Wales serving determinate sentences, the average length of sentence was 16.8 months and the average time served in custody was nine months, so that the average licence period was 7.8 months, or 46 per cent. of the sentence length (excludes discharges following recall after release on licence, non-criminals, persons committed to custody for non-payment of a fine and persons reclassified as adult prisoners).
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Road Traffic Act 1988: Prosecutions

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many successful prosecutions under section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, as amended, were undertaken in each of the last three years against owners or drivers of vehicles judged to have tinted windows which failed to meet the relevant visual light transmission standard imposed by Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986;
	(2)  how many prosecutions under section 77 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, as amended, have been undertaken in each of the last three years as a consequence of vehicles being offered for sale which failed to adhere to the relevant visual light transmission standard imposed by Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986;
	(3)  how many prosecutions under section 76 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, as amended, have been undertaken as a consequence of vehicles being fitted with window tint which fails to comply with the relevant visual light transmission standard imposed by Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: Available information held centrally on prosecutions does not separately identify offences under ss. 42, 77 and 76 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, as amended, where defendants fail to meet standards imposed by Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. The offences are grouped together with other offences within the category 'vehicles or parts in dangerous or defective condition'.

Young Offenders: Housing

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the housing of young offenders when they have completed their sentences.

David Hanson: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and I agreed the set of national indicators for local authorities and the inclusion of (among other indicators) an indicator on young offenders' access to suitable accommodation. That indicator now forms part of the single set of national indicators.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Food

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to develop a fully integrated food policy.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	DEFRA is working with the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit and other Government Departments on a study of food and food policy in the UK.
	The project will examine current and emerging trends in the production and consumption of food, the key drivers of those trends and the implications for the wider economy, society and the environment. It will look at the opportunities and challenges facing the food system, including issues such as the contribution of diet to public health, food safety, changing consumer tastes and preferences, and environmental sustainability. In the first instance, the focus of the work will be analytical rather than policy focused but later phases are expected to draw out wider policy implications.

Voluntary Organisations

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the variability of the quality and depth of public services available in particular areas as a result of the relative strength of third sector organisations in those areas.

Phil Hope: The third sector review was an in-depth assessment of the role of the sector in economic and social regeneration. In terms of public service delivery the Government have undertaken, through the partnership in public services action plan, to remove barriers that third sector organisations experience when bidding to supply public services. It will be for local commissioners to decide on whether particular organisations, whether public, private or third sector, will provide best value and quality of those services.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies have been  (a) established,  (b) agreed but yet to open and  (c) proposed in each local education authority; and how many were for the age group (i) 11 to 16 and (ii) 11 to 18 years in each case.

Jim Knight: There are now 83 academies open in 49 local authorities. There are 12 projects in the implementation phase, and a further 69 projects where the Secretary of State has agreed a formal expression of interest with the local authority and a sponsor for an academy. Details are given in the following table which also indicates how many academies are catering for, or are proposed to cater for, the 11-16 and 11-18 age groups.
	
		
			   Open  In implementation  In feasibility 
			  Local authority  Number  Age group  Number  Age group  Number  Age group 
			 Barnet 1 11-18 — — 1 11-18 
			 Barnsley 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Bexley 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Birmingham — — — — 4 11-18 
			 Blackburn and Darwen — — — — 1 11-18 
			 Bolton — — — — 1 11-18 
			 Bradford 2 11-18 — — 1 11-18 
			 Brent 1 11-18 — — 1 11-18 
			 Brighton and Hove — — — — 1 11-18 
			 Bristol 2 11-16 1 11-18 2 11-16 
			  1 11-18 
			 Cheshire — — — — 2 11-18 
			 Coventry — — 1 11-18 1 11-18 
			 Croydon 2 11-18 — — — — 
			 Cumbria — — — — 1 11-18 
			  2 11-18 
			 Darlington 1 11-16 — — — — 
			 Derby 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Derbyshire — — — — 1 11-18 
			 Doncaster 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Ealing 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Enfield 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Essex — — — — 1 11-16 
			  1 11-18 
			 Greenwich 1 11-16 — — — — 
			 Hackney 3 11-18 — — 2 11-18 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1 11-18 — — 1 11-18 
			 Haringey 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Herefordshire — — — — 1 11-16 
			  1 11-18 
			 Hillingdon 2 11-18 — — — — 
			 Islington 1 11-18 — — 1 11-18 
			 Kensington and Chelsea — — 1 11-18 — — 
			 Kingston upon Hull — — — — 2 11-18 
			 Kent 6 11-18 — — 1 11-18 
			  1 11-16 
			 Lambeth 1 11-18 1 11-18 — — 
			 Lancashire — — — — 1 11-18 
			 Leeds 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Leicester 1 11-16 — — — — 
			 Lewisham 2 11-18 — — — — 
			  1 11-16 
			 Lincolnshire — — — — 3 11-18 
			  1 (1)— 
			 Liverpool 1 11-16 — — — — 
			  2 11-18 
			 Luton 2 11-18 — — — — 
			 Manchester 2 11-18 — — 6 11-18 
			 Merton 2 11-18 — — — — 
			 Middlesbrough 2 11-18 — — — — 
			  1 11-16 
			 Milton Keynes — — 1 11-18 — — 
			 Newcastle — — 1 11-18 — — 
			 Newham — — — — 1 (1)— 
			 Norfolk — — — — 1 11-18 
			 North East Lincolnshire 3 11-18 — — — — 
			 North Lincolnshire — — — — 1 11-16 
			 Northamptonshire 1 11-18 1 11-18 1 11-18 
			 Northumberland — — — — 2 11-18 
			 Nottingham, City of 1 11-18 — — 2 11-18 
			 Nottinghamshire — — — — 1 11-18 
			 Oxfordshire 1 11-18 — — 1 11-18 
			 Peterborough 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Reading 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Rochdale 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Salford 1 11-18 — — 1 11-18 
			 Sandwell 3 11-18 1 11-18 1 11-18 
			 Sheffield 2 11-18 — — — — 
			 Slough — — 1 11-18 — — 
			 Solihull 1 11-18 — — 1 11-18 
			 South Gloucestershire 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Southwark 7 11-18 — — 2 11-18 
			 Southampton — — — — 2 (1)— 
			 St. Helens — — — — 1 11-18 
			 Staffordshire — — — — 1 11-18 
			 Stockport 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Sunderland — — 3 11-16 — — 
			 Swindon 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Tameside — — — — 2 11-18 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1 11-18 — — 1 11-16 
			 Thurrock 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Waltham Forest 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Walsall 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 Wandsworth 1 11-18 — — — — 
			 West Sussex — — — — 3 11-16 
			 Westminster 3 11-18 — — 1 (1)— 
			 Wiltshire — — — — 1 11-18 
			 (1 )Age group to be confirmed

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether it is his policy that the main sponsor of an academy can be a local authority; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Academies are independent schools, which means that a local authority cannot be the main sponsor. Local authorities are increasingly becoming engaged in the strategic planning and co-sponsorship of academies in their localities within their wider school rebuilding and transformational strategies, and a number of local authorities are co-sponsors of academies in their area. The Government welcome this engagement.

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what changes there have been to his Department's projections for the number of academies to be opened by the end of each of the next five financial years since inception of the programme; and what the reasons were for those changes.

Jim Knight: The academies programme was introduced as part of the then Secretary of State (Mr. Blunkett's) March 2000 speech on transforming secondary education. The programme has always targeted areas with inadequate existing secondary schools, with some academies replacing under-performing schools and others meeting the demand for new school places.
	The first three academies opened in September 2002, and early projections included 25 academies in London by 2007 and a total of 57 academies.
	The Department's Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners, published in July 2004 included a target for 200 academies open or in the pipeline by 2010 with 60 in London. With an increasing body of evidence that academies are working and transforming the life chances of some of the most disadvantaged communities, in November 2006 the Government announced a scaling up of the academies programme, with an overall target to establish 400 academies.
	83 academies have opened to date and we estimate that around 50 will open in each year from 2008 to 2010. Financial allocations for later years are subject to future spending review decisions.
	The projected number of academies that are due to open at the beginning of any academic year is likely to change several times over the course of the preceding year as a result of project specific factors including land and site issues. A response detailing each change to projections and the reason for those changes could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what criteria determine whether a school can apply to be an academy; whether he plans to alter these criteria; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The academies programme targets areas of inadequate educational attainment and opportunity. Some academies are brand new schools which need the extra school places, others are successful fee paying schools that wish to serve their whole local community and broaden their intake—providing high quality places where they are needed. However, most academies replace weak or underperforming schools. As a general rule, the Government are prepared to consider any secondary school where in 2006 fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils gained five or more GCSEs at A*-C including English and maths as a potential academy project. In addition, local authorities would always consider an academy as an option for dealing with a school in special measures, or subject to an improvement notice, whatever it's results. They should also be considered where there is a need for additional secondary places. This policy is set out in the 2007 prospectus for academies, 400 Academies; prospectus for sponsors and local authorities.
	The Department has no plans to alter these criteria.

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the likely number of academies in England in each year until 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Government are committed to opening 400 academies. Details of the number of academies opened and planned to open between 2002 (when the first academy opened) and 2010 are included in the following table.
	83 academies have opened to date and we estimate that around 50 will open in each year from 2008 to 2010. The projected number of academies that are due to open at the beginning of any academic year is likely to change several times over the course of the preceding year as a result of project specific factors including land and site issues.
	The number of academies that open in each year from 2011 to 2020 will depend on the decisions made during future spending reviews.
	
		
			   Opening in period  Cumulative total 
			 2002 3 3 
			 2003 9 12 
			 2004 5 17 
			 2005 10 27 
			 2006 19 46 
			 April 2007 1 47 
			 September 2007 36 83 
			 2008 (1)50 133 
			 2009 (1)50 183 
			 2010 (1)50 233 
			 (1) Estimated

Academies: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mechanism is available to  (a) local authorities and  (b) the Government to ensure that academy schools take appropriate numbers of (i) special educational needs students and (ii) students entitled to free school meals.

Jim Knight: Academies are fully inclusive schools and they are established in partnership with local authorities. Their funding agreements set out that they are required to comply with admissions law and the statutory School Admissions Code. They are also part of their local school admissions fora. They must have regard to the SEN code of practice and statutory guidance on inclusion.
	The National Foundation for Educational Research and the Local Government Association published a report in summer 2006 entitled "Admissions: Who Goes Where". The report found that academies on average admit more pupils with SEN (both with and without statements) than other schools in England. Academies also, on average, admit more SEN pupils (both with and without statements) than their predecessor schools. The report also found that academies admit higher proportions of pupils eligible for FSM than the proportion living in the local postcode districts.

Academies: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupil entrants are admitted on the basis of aptitude in each academy school; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to his question on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 364W.

Academies: Curriculum

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of curriculum time is allocated to  (a) English,  (b) mathematics and ICT academies; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: All Academies are required to teach English, maths, science and ICT and Academies with funding agreements signed after July 2007 must follow the National Curriculum programmes of study in these subjects. The Department does not monitor the proportion of curriculum time allocated to individual subject areas.

Academies: Fire Prevention

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies have been fitted with sprinklers.

Jim Knight: The Department does not hold information on which academy buildings have sprinklers.

Academies: Sixth Form Education

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the establishment of academies providing sixth forms in areas which already cater for students in the age group 16 to 18 years which have a sixth form college, a further education institute and schools with sixth forms.

Jim Knight: It has always been the assumption that academies will have sixth form provision as part of their mission to raise aspirations and staying on rates.
	Although post-16 participation rates have improved in recent years, the UK still has one of the lowest proportions of pupils in full time education or training at age 17 among OECD countries.
	Academies are proving successful in encouraging more pupils to stay on in education or training post-16. Within the local arrangements for delivering 14-19 specialised vocational diplomas, it is the norm for Academies to be post-16 providers in their own right. Where an academy proposal does not include sixth form provision, the Government would need to be assured that arrangements for post-16 provision for pupils leaving the academy are as good, in terms of accessibility and quality, as those which could be provided by the academy itself.
	Many academies have universities either as sponsors or as partners, and defined progression routes to further and higher education are a key priority.

Academies: Trade Union Recognition

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and which academies have reached recognition agreements with  (a) teaching unions and  (b) unions representing other members of staff.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect this data. However, as good employers, we would expect academies to recognise staff associations.

Child Minding: Qualifications

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of registered childminders have a Level 3 qualification; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Information taken from the 2006 Childcare and Early Years Providers' Survey shows that 33 per cent. of childminders hold a Level 3 qualification. The Department is committed to ensuring a greater proportion of the early years and childcare workforce is qualified to level 3 and to encouraging continuous professional development at all levels. Over the period 2006-08, we funded workforce development primarily through the General Sure Start Grant and the Transformation Fund. From April 2008 to March 2011, development of the early years and childcare workforce, including registered childminders, will be funded through the new Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant.

Child Minding: Registration

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families at what level he intends to fix the registration fee for registered childminders on the compulsory early years register; what account will be taken of affordability in setting that level; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Our proposals for the levels of fees for the early years register and the compulsory part of the Ofsted Childcare Register from September 2008 will be published for consultation shortly. The proposed fee levels and support arrangements for providers will take into account provider income information from the 2006 Childcare and Early Years Providers' survey.

Children: Asylum

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what responsibilities his Department has in relation to children seeking asylum;
	(2)  what responsibilities the Under-Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families holds in relation to asylum-seeking children.

Beverley Hughes: The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families' Department holds the same responsibility to children seeking asylum in this country as they hold to UK citizen children. The Government are committed to enabling all children including those seeking asylum to reach their full potential. This includes the Under-Secretary of State maintaining a strong lead in securing integrated children's services and educational excellence for all.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in what areas it is proposed that his Department will achieve annual net cash savings of £4.5 billion by 2010-11, as set out in the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Kevin Brennan: The Department is due to publish details of the specific initiatives which contribute to our £4.5 billion savings by the end of 2007.
	The information will be in the form of a Delivery Agreement between the Department for Children, Schools and Families and HM Treasury.

Departmental Reorganisation

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost has been of re-branding his Department following the change in name from the Department for Education and Skills.

Kevin Brennan: There were no costs for re-branding. Costs for producing branded material in relation to the creation of DCSF were £14,215 for the design, production and installation of signage, together with £900 for the recycling costs of previous stationery stock.

Education: Assessments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimate is of the proportion of school time spent preparing for key stage 2 tests by children in year 6; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The National Assessment Agency, which is responsible for administering the tests, advises schools to prepare their pupils for the tests by providing them with opportunities to familiarise themselves with the layout and design of past test papers, encouraging them to work independently and to be aware that there may be questions in the tests that they will not be able to answer. Head teachers have responsibility for deciding how much preparation pupils should have, but neither the Department nor NAA recommend intensive preparation for the tests.
	Information about time spent on test preparation is not collected centrally. However, as part of a research exercise, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) gathered information about test preparations in school year 2006-07 from 376 primary, infant and junior, schools. Those schools reported on the time spent in year six on direct preparation for key stage 2 tests as follows:
	
		
			  Time spent on test preparation 
			   Percentage of schools 
			  First half of autumn term of year six 
			 None  
			 One hour or more 52 
			 Two hours or more 48 
			  28 
			  Second half of spring term of year six 
			 None 10 
			 Two hours or more 90 
			 Three hours or more 71 
		
	
	The sample of schools responding to the QCA's survey was small and not necessarily representative.

Foster Care

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what action the Government have taken to keep siblings together during fostering and adoption since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The well-being of looked after children is paramount and legislation focuses on securing this. Section 23(7)(b) of the Children Act 1989 places a duty on local authorities to accommodate a child together with his/her siblings so far as is 'reasonably practical and consistent with his welfare'. The Act also requires local authorities to encourage contact between siblings.
	An important factor to be taken into account in placement decisions is the number of children who may be placed in a foster home. Paragraphs 2 and 3 of Schedule 7 to the Act prescribe a 'usual fostering limit' of three children. Local authorities may, however, exceed the usual fostering limit if the children concerned are all siblings.
	This Government have invested significantly to improve the choice of placements available, so that a higher number of looked after children are now living in foster placements than ever before.
	In relation to adoption we have:
	issued statutory guidance to adoption agencies emphasising the importance of children being placed in sibling groups where this is in their best interests;
	required local authorities to make a range of adoption support services available, including financial support to facilitate siblings being placed together; and
	set up an adoption register for England and Wales which enables children and prospective adopters to be matched beyond local areas. It has an important role to play in finding matches for more difficult to place children, such as those in sibling groups.

Further Education: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students at further education colleges in England are resident in Wales.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 12 November 2007
	 I have been asked to reply.
	The Learning and Skills Council collect data on learners in further education colleges through the Individualised Learner Record. Latest full-year participation figures are for 2005/06 and were published in December 2006. In 2005/06, there were 8,025 learners studying at further education colleges in England who were living in Wales prior to enrolment.

Geronimo Communications

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what payments his Department and its predecessor made to Geronimo Communications in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: Details of payments made to Geronimo Communication by the Department and its predecessors over the last nine years are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			 1999-2000 320,132 
			 2000-01 715,379 
			 2001-02 1,221,349 
			 2002-03 1,347,384 
			 2003-04 1,153,197 
			 2004-05 459,374 
			 2005-06 2,441,139 
			 2006-07 2,013,211 
			 2007-08(1) 1,157,691 
			 (1) To date 
		
	
	The data was requested for the last 11 years, however, the Department is only able to supply nine years. The Department is only required to retain financial records and original documentation for six years after the end of the financial year in which the transaction took place.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007 as a result of a machinery of government change and the expenditure recorded above includes those of the two predecessor Departments, the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) and the Department of Education and Skills (DfES). The expenditure for 2007-08 will also include any costs incurred by the newly created Department for Universities, Innovation and Skills, where these costs relate to areas formerly the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills.

Languages: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people in Suffolk were entered for a modern language at GCSE in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the amount of per pupil deprivation-related funding for each school in England for the latest 12 months for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Providing this information at school level would require an analysis of the detail within each of 148 local authority formulae, which could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the different methodologies used by local authorities to distribute deprivation-related funding.

Jim Knight: In September 2006, my Department produced a technical review of deprivation indicators, containing summary information on the main deprivation indicators potentially available and the extent to which they were being used by local authorities for that purpose. This guidance can be found on the Teachernet website at the following link:
	www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=10254

Pupils: Intimidation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government have taken since 1997 to tackle problems of bullying in schools.

Kevin Brennan: The Government believe that all bullying is wrong and should never be tolerated in schools, and our guidance makes this clear.
	Since 1997 we have introduced an extensive range of measures to tackle bullying in schools. We have issued guidance for schools and the Anti-Bullying Charter which includes a detailed list of questions for the school community to consider when formulating its anti-bullying policy. We have worked with and funded a number of partners, including: the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) who arrange the annual Anti-Bullying Week, and provide a range of advice and support to local authorities; ParentLine Plus, who run a helpline for parents whose children are being bullied and provide other resources through their 'Be Someone to Tell' campaign; and ChildLine in Partnership with Schools (CHIPS) who run peer mentoring schemes for the Department. We also fund awards for anti-bullying work as part of the Princess Diana Memorial Awards scheme.
	We have placed a legal duty on head teachers to determine measures to promote good behaviour, respect for others and to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils as part of their overall behaviour policy. The Education and Inspections Act (2006) Act also provides head teachers with the power, to such extent as is reasonable, to regulate the conduct of pupils when they are off-site or not under the control or charge of a member of staff. This is of particular significance to cyberbullying, which is often likely to take place out of school but which can impact very strongly on the school life of those pupils involved.
	We recently launched comprehensive new guidance for schools which replaces "Don't Suffer in Silence". This was issued under the new title "Safe to Learn: Embedding Anti-Bullying Work in Schools" on 21 September 2007. It includes specific advice on homophobic bullying and cyberbullying, and links to pre-existing guidance on bullying around racism, religion and culture that was issued last year. To complete this suite of guidance, we have begun preparing advice on how to tackle the bullying of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities will publish this next spring.
	We have asked the National Strategies and anti-Bullying Alliance to work with schools and local authorities to ensure the guidance is effectively implemented on the ground and we will monitor this very closely. We have also asked the National Strategies to provide challenge and support to those schools which have been identified as weak or ineffective in their approach to dealing with bullying.
	This year the Department will provide around £1.7 million for anti-bullying programmes, and funding levels are set to rise in future years. This covers the costs of grants to external organisations, as well as anti-bullying resources, the publication of guidance and support for local authorities and schools and directly funded external events.

Schools: Capital Investment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the likely percentage increase in total schools capital allocation in real terms between 2008-09 and 2010-11 for each English local authority; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I will write separately to the hon. Member, setting out the likely percentage increase in total schools capital allocation in real terms between 2008-09 and 2010-11 for each local authority, and will place a copy of the letter in the House of Commons Library. The figures will include allocations made to date, but not additional allocations that will be made through the Building Schools for the Future, academies and targeted programmes that require applications.
	Allocations for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11 amount, in real terms, to a seven-fold increase since 1996-97. Total schools' capital funding available for allocation in the years 2007-08 to 2010-11 is set out in the following table, shown in cash and in real terms.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Total capital funding: Cash 6,669 7,024 8,235 
			 Total capital funding: Real 6,494 6,660 7,602 
			  Note: The GDP deflator base year is 2006-07 and the projected inflation rate for 2007-08 to 2009-10 is an annual 2.7 per cent.

Schools: Finance

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what central Government funding was available to schools in each London borough in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The revenue funding figures available to schools in each of the London boroughs for years 2003-04 to 2005-06 are as follows:
	
		
			   EFS + grants 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Barking and Dagenham 120.6 131.1 139.0 
			 Barnet 186.1 196.9 207.3 
			 Bexley 140.6 150.1 161.6 
			 Brent 173.7 185.7 200.3 
			 Bromley 176.2 189.7 202.6 
			 Camden 114.3 124.0 130.5 
			 Croydon 190.9 205.6 216.0 
			 Ealing 179.3 189.0 201.6 
			 Enfield 194.3 210.3 222.8 
			 Greenwich 172.2 184.1 195.9 
			 Hackney 143.2 153.3 166.9 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 90.8 98.0 101.5 
			 Haringey 152.0 166.8 172.7 
			 Harrow 110.2 117.9 125.6 
			 Havering 131.5 141.4 149.0 
			 Hillingdon 155.5 168.3 179.1 
			 Hounslow 148.0 157.8 168.7 
			 Islington 123.0 130.4 138.1 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 59.7 64.6 68.1 
			 Kingston upon Thames 75.5 82.4 89.6 
			 Lambeth 153.1 163.6 172.2 
			 Lewisham 169.8 179.9 188.7 
			 Merton 86.7 92.7 101.1 
			 Newham 222.0 235.7 249.6 
			 Red bridge 162.3 175.2 187.0 
			 Richmond upon Thames 69.6 75.0 81.1 
			 Southwark 175.6 183.6 199.1 
			 Sutton 112.3 123.5 131.4 
			 Tower Hamlets 197.6 211.2 228.4 
			 Waltham Forest 152.6 162.5 170.9 
			 Wandsworth 135.7 146.1 155.7 
			 Westminster 98.0 106.0 113.1 
			  Notes:  1. Price base: cash.  2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of Education Formula Spending (EPS) settlements and include the pensions transfer to EFS and the Learning and Skills Council.  3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 3-19 and exclude education maintenance allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level.  4. The EFS figures exclude the LEA block funding (to cover LEA central functions). Figures also exclude any capital funding.  5. Where responsibility for funding a school has transferred from an authority, related funding no longer appears in the series.  6. Rounding: figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million.  7. Status: some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal. 
		
	
	The revenue figures shown in the following table are taken from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) which was introduced in April 2006. They are not comparable with those for the years 2003-04 to 2005-06 because the introduction of the DSG in 2006-07 fundamentally changed how local authorities are funded.
	The DSG is based largely on an authority's previous spending. The 2003-04 to 2005-06 figures are based on Education Formula Spending (EFS) which formed the education part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, plus various grants. This was an assessment of what local authorities needed to fund education rather than what they spent. Consequently, there is a break in the Department's time series as the two sets of data are not comparable. An alternative time series is currently under development.
	The revenue funding figures available to schools in each of the London boroughs for years 2006-07 to 2007-08 are as follows:
	
		
			   DSG + grants 
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			 Barking and Dagenham 145.9 157.4 
			 Barnet 219.3 231.9 
			 Bexley 169.5 178.4 
			 Brent 205.1 221.5 
			 Bromley 202.2 212.9 
			 Camden 143.3 150.1 
			 Croydon 220.8 232.8 
			 Ealing 211.0 227.4 
			 Enfield 234.6 248.9 
			 Greenwich 202.1 213.0 
			 Hackney 170.5 174.9 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 101.0 103.5 
			 Haringey 180.2 190.4 
			 Harrow 134.2 142.5 
			 Havering 156.9 165.2 
			 Hillingdon 186.6 197.5 
			 Hounslow 175.3 185.2 
			 Islington 140.3 144.2 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 69.7 71.9 
			 Kingston upon Thames 95.1 100.4 
			 Lambeth 175.8 188.2 
			 Lewisham 196.4 202.2 
			 Merton 102.5 105.7 
			 Newham 258.5 274.4 
			 Redbridge 195.4 211.8 
			 Richmond upon Thames 89.7 95.1 
			 Southwark 201.3 197.8 
			 Sutton 136.9 145.8 
			 Tower Hamlets 244.2 261.0 
			 Waltham Forest 176.3 183.3 
			 Wandsworth 157.5 167.3 
			 Westminster 109.6 112.1 
			  Notes:  1. Price base: cash.  2. Figures exclude capital funding.  3. Where responsibility for funding a school has transferred from an authority, related funding no longer appears in the series.  4. Rounding: figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million.  5. Status: some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal.

Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on his latest plans to claw back five per cent. of school year-end surpluses; and if he will publish the responses to the public consultation on the issue.

Jim Knight: On 30 October I announced the Government's decisions following the consultation. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of that date,  Official Report, column 29WS.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families will be producing a report on the consultation in due course.

Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much of the schools budget was retained centrally by each local authority in  (a) cash terms and  (b) as a percentage of the total schools budget in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is contained within the following table:
	
		
			  Total schools budget( 1, 2)  for local authorities in England: 2007-08 
			Of which: centrally retained( 2, 3, 4) 
			  Local authority name  Total schools budget( 1, 3, 4)  (£)  cash terms (£)  as a percentage of total schools budget 
			 England 34,358,576,000 3,884,484,000 11.3 
			 
			 Barking and Dagenham 157,849,000 15,695,000 9.9 
			 Barnet 234,249,000 24,562,000 10.5 
			 Barnsley 144,628,000 13,546,000 9.4 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 109,883,000 17,418,000 15.9 
			 Bedfordshire 280,305,000 28,059,000 10.0 
			 Bexley 179,468,000 19,228,000 10.7 
			 Birmingham 894,288,000 66,676,000 7.5 
			 Blackburn and Darwen 124,369,000 14,778,000 11.9 
			 Blackpool 93,668,000 13,914,000 14.9 
			 Bolton 201,988,000 20,679,000 10.2 
			 Bournemouth 88,356,000 11,355,000 12.9 
			 Bracknell Forest 67,614,000 10,318,000 15.3 
			 Bradford 405,010,000 37,820,000 9.3 
			 Brent 222,481,000 19,494,000 8.8 
			 Brighton and Hove 138,596,000 19,672,000 14.2 
			 Bromley 212,818,000 26,717,000 12.6 
			 Buckinghamshire 338,508,000 53,412,000 15.8 
			 Bury 117,640,000 12,237,000 10.4 
			 Calderdale 152,351,000 14,391,000 9.4 
			 Cambridgeshire 332,946,000 39,305,000 11.8 
			 Camden 154,825,000 27,224,000 17.6 
			 Cheshire 439,234,000 52,885,000 12.0 
			 City of Bristol 225,835,000 31,338,000 13.9 
			 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull 172,819,000 19,812,000 11.5 
			 City of London 2,187,000 753,000 34.4 
			 Cornwall 319,656,000 47,090,000 14.7 
			 Coventry 231,196,000 25,566,000 11.1 
			 Croydon 233,034,000 28,717,000 12.3 
			 Cumbria 326,906,000 31,416,000 9.6 
			 Darlington 67,158,000 7,392,000 11.0 
			 Derby 170,317,000 15,612,000 9.2 
			 Derbyshire 478,136,000 48,503,000 10.1 
			 Devon 407,649,000 35,134,000 8.6 
			 Doncaster 208,718,000 18,894,000 9.1 
			 Dorset 240,573,000 30,704,000 12.8 
			 Dudley 212,850,000 21,988,000 10.3 
			 Durham 335,661,000 25,958,000 7.7 
			 Ealing 224,892,000 25,168,000 11.2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 206,102,000 23,347,000 11.3 
			 East Sussex 293,898,000 36,768,000 12.5 
			 Enfield 254,752,000 25,735,000 10.1 
			 Essex 886,153,000 97,632,000 11.0 
			 Gateshead 126,688,000 13,022,000 10.3 
			 Gloucestershire 362,470,000 46,715,000 12.9 
			 Greenwich 216,022,000 23,951,000 11.1 
			 Hackney 179,720,000 37,668,000 21.0 
			 Halton 89,793,000 10,506,000 11.7 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 103,094,000 14,365,000 13.9 
			 Hampshire 731,264,000 87,904,000 12.0 
			 Haringey 188,566,000 20,296,000 10.8 
			 Harrow 141,357,000 13,407,000 9.5 
			 Hartlepool 69,641,000 7,041,000 10.1 
			 Havering 163,311,000 14,926,000 9.1 
			 Herefordshire 100,334,000 11,247,000 11.2 
			 Hertfordshire 749,520,000 78,133,000 10.4 
			 Hillingdon 203,133,000 20,895,000 10.3 
			 Hounslow 187,789,000 19,546,000 10.4 
			 Isle of Wight 88,230,000 11,127,000 12.6 
			 Isles of Scilly 2,237,000 223,000 10.0 
			 Islington 143,170,000 23,331,000 16.3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 73,088,000 10,226,000 14.0 
			 Kent 955,253,000 111,953,000 11.7 
			 Kingston upon Thames 101,088,000 9,100,000 9.0 
			 Kirklees 283,170,000 29,792,000 10.5 
			 Knowsley 113,245,000 13,227,000 11.7 
			 Lambeth 184,690,000 25,465,000 13.8 
			 Lancashire 759,377,000 84,774,000 11.2 
			 Leeds 476,769,000 37,422,000 7.8 
			 Leicester 222,070,000 33,256,000 15.0 
			 Leicestershire 398,122,000 46,224,000 11.6 
			 Lewisham 204,871,000 29,813,000 14.6 
			 Lincolnshire 440,099,000 49,656,000 11.3 
			 Liverpool 351,417,000 41,232,000 11.7 
			 Luton 149,608,000 16,315,000 10.9 
			 Manchester 328,704,000 39,952,000 12.2 
			 Medway 195,410,000 21,292,000 10.9 
			 Merton 105,488,000 15,058,000 14.3 
			 Middlesbrough 92,884,000 10,316,000 11.1 
			 Milton Keynes 174,612,000 20,152,000 11.5 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 177,675,000 22,962,000 12.9 
			 Newham 277,123,000 32,184,000 11.6 
			 Norfolk 486,377,000 47,743,000 9.8 
			 North East Lincolnshire 115,711,000 21,240,000 18.4 
			 North Lincolnshire 105,037,000 14,126,000 13.4 
			 North Somerset 124,101,000 18,756,000 15.1 
			 North Tyneside 127,974,000 8,714,000 6.8 
			 North Yorkshire 372,273,000 34,509,000 9.3 
			 Northamptonshire 439,883,000 53,786,000 12.2 
			 Northumberland 211,756,000 25,632,000 12.1 
			 Nottingham City 186,589,000 27,053,000 14.5 
			 Nottinghamshire 490,354,000 44,661,000 9.1 
			 Oldham 182,947,000 20,212,000 11.0 
			 Oxfordshire 367,360,000 48,504,000 13.2 
			 Peterborough 134,453,000 16,272,000 12.1 
			 Plymouth 172,694,000 22,244,000 12.9 
			 Poole 81,739,000 8,318,000 10.2 
			 Portsmouth 111,175,000 10,744,000 9.7 
			 Reading 78,470,000 13,491,000 17.2 
			 Redbridge 212,399,000 18,452,000 8.7 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 100,338,000 11,487,000 11.4 
			 Richmond upon Thames 94,686,000 12,890,000 13.6 
			 Rochdale 160,203,000 18,258,000 11.4 
			 Rotherham 205,599,000 21,151,000 10.3 
			 Rutland 21,015,000 2,032,000 9.7 
			 Salford 151,393,000 21,576,000 14.3 
			 Sandwell 224,175,000 20,045,000 8.9 
			 Sefton 191,551,000 19,603,000 10.2 
			 Sheffield 349,683,000 70,412,000 20.1 
			 Shropshire 172,445,000 25,819,000 15.0 
			 Slough 106,370,000 11,071,000 10.4 
			 Solihull 138,904,000 15,555,000 11.2 
			 Somerset 296,417,000 35,394,000 11.9 
			 South Gloucestershire 162,926,000 17,436,000 10.7 
			 South Tyneside 105,715,000 9,521,000 9.0 
			 Southampton 133,868,000 17,653,000 13.2 
			 Southend 123,654,000 14,967,000 12.1 
			 Southwark 193,520,000 22,148,000 11.4 
			 St. Helens 123,468,000 14,169,000 11.5 
			 Staffordshire 524,551,000 50,150,000 9.6 
			 Stockport 163,526,000 21,830,000 13.3 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 130,976,000 13,066,000 10.0 
			 Stoke on Trent 157,422,000 18,942,000 12.0 
			 Suffolk 418,772,000 45,753,000 10.9 
			 Sunderland 193,475,000 16,215,000 8.4 
			 Surrey 618,803,000 72,057,000 11.6 
			 Sutton 144,671,000 15,698,000 10.9 
			 Swindon 115,011,000 13,388,000 11.6 
			 Tameside 155,007,000 20,797,000 13.4 
			 Telford and Wrekin 112,108,000 13,693,000 12.2 
			 Thurrock 100,241,000 17,159,000 17.1 
			 Torbay 83,760,000 10,669,000 12.7 
			 Tower Hamlets 273,874,000 38,281,000 14.0 
			 Trafford 150,777,000 14,654,000 9.7 
			 Wakefield 215,575,000 17,335,000 8.0 
			 Walsall 211,259,000 19,603,000 9.3 
			 Waltham Forest 185,905,000 15,670,000 8.4 
			 Wandsworth 170,558,000 9,541,000 5.6 
			 Warrington 131,624,000 14,266,000 10.8 
			 Warwickshire 324,544,000 33,634,000 10.4 
			 West Berkshire 113,790,000 12,976,000 11.4 
			 West Sussex 459,318,000 62,064,000 13.5 
			 Westminster 114,833,000 14,805,000 12.9 
			 Wigan 203,615,000 13,771,000 6.8 
			 Wiltshire 281,781,000 35,617,000 12.6 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 88,700,000 11,227,000 12.7 
			 Wirral 231,441,000 24,255,000 10.5 
			 Wokingham 100,821,000 9,784,000 9.7 
			 Wolverhampton 191,382,000 18,857,000 9.9 
			 Worcestershire 331,921,000 29,595,000 8.9 
			 York 100,652,000 11,902,000 11.8 
			 (1) Total schools budget figures are drawn from local authorities Section 52 Budget Statements submitted to the DCSF (formally DfES). This is calculated as the gross elements of any grants plus the net elements of the remainder of the schools budget.  (2) Within the schools budget, the individual schools budget as well as any grants devolved to schools are treated as delegated to schools with the remainder of the schools budget controlled centrally by the local authority on behalf of its schools.  (3) 2007-08 data are subject to change by the local authority.  (4) Cash figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and may not sum due to rounding.   Note:  Cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 9 November 2007.

Schools: Governing Bodies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of his Department's civil servants have been appointed to interim executive boards; and if he will list the schools involved.

Jim Knight: Only one civil servant from the Department for Children, Schools and Families has served on an interim executive board (IEB). This was for a temporary period in 2006 when there was a vacancy on the IEB being set up at Rhodesway School in Bradford caused by the unexpected resignation of the nominated Chair.

Schools: Governing Bodies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many interim executive boards he has established in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

Jim Knight: There have been 54 applications from local authorities (LAs) to the Secretary of State seeking permission to appoint an interim executive board (IEB) which have been approved since the powers came into force in September 2002. Two of these were later not implemented by the LA. In addition two IEBs have been established using the Secretary of State's own power to create an IEB in Hampshire and Wolverhampton. The following table shows where IEBs have been put in place.
	
		
			  Local authority  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007 to date 
			 Barnet — — — 1 — — 
			 Birmingham 1 — — — — — 
			 Blackburn and Darwen — 1 — — — — 
			 Bradford — 1 — 2 — — 
			 Bristol — — 1 1 — — 
			 Calderdale — — — — 2 — 
			 Cambridgeshire — — — — 1 — 
			 Derby — 1 — — — — 
			 East Riding — — — — 1 — 
			 Enfield — — — — 2 — 
			 Essex — — — — 1 1 
			 Hackney — — — 1 1 — 
			 Hampshire — 1 — — 1 — 
			 Isle of Wight — — — — 1 — 
			 Islington 1 — — — — — 
			 Kent — 1 — — — — 
			 Kingston upon Hull — — — — 1 — 
			 Leicester — — — 1 1 — 
			 Merton — — — 1 — — 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne — — — — 1 — 
			 North East Lincolnshire — — — — — 1 
			 North Lincolnshire — — — 1 — — 
			 Norfolk — — — — — 3 
			 Northamptonshire — — — — 1 — 
			 Nottingham — 1 — — — — 
			 Peterborough 1 — — — — — 
			 Reading — 1 — — — — 
			 Slough — — 1 — — 1 
			 Southampton — — — 1 — — 
			 Southend on Sea — 1 — — — — 
			 Southwark — — — 1 — — 
			 Stockton-on-Tees — — — — — 1 
			 Surrey — — — 2 1 — 
			 Tameside — — — — — 1 
			 Walsall — — 1 — 1 — 
			 Warwickshire — 1 — — — — 
			 Westminster — — — — 1 — 
			 Wolverhampton — — — — 1 — 
			 Worcestershire — 1 — — — —

Sixth Form Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of comprehensive schools have sixth forms.

Jim Knight: The available information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies( 1)  as at January 2007, England 
			   Number of schools with sixth form pupils( 2,3)  Percentage of schools with sixth form pupils( 4) 
			 Maintained secondary schools 1,755 52.5 
			 CTCs 10 100.0 
			 Academies 30 65.2 
			 Total 1,795 52.8 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Based on the number of schools with one or more pupils in national curriculum year groups 12,13 or 14. (3) Includes pupils with both sole and dual main registration. (4) The number of schools with pupils in national curriculum years 12, 13 or 14 expressed as a percentage of all schools of this type.  Source: School Census

Specialist Schools and Academies Trust: Expenditure

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how much funding his Department has allocated to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust in each of the last five years, broken down by category of expenditure;
	(2)  what outcomes were expected of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust for each category of funding allocated to it by his Department in each of the past five years; and if he will provide an assessment of how the organisation performed against each expected outcome.

Jim Knight: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The total amounts paid to SSAT in the last five years for the main expenditure headings are set out in the table.
	Each programme line has separately agreed outcomes, negotiated over varying time-frames, and which are subject to appropriate reporting and monitoring procedures. SSAT has met all of the Department's conditions of funding.
	There are many aspects of SSAT's work which contribute to the overall success of the Specialist Schools and Academies programmes. The headline success criteria for the Specialist Schools Programme are the numbers of schools achieving and maintaining specialist school status, and raising achievement at Key Stage 4. On the first of these, we are on track to achieve the target of 95 per cent. of eligible mainstream schools to become specialist or academies by the end of 2008. On the second, specialist schools have consistently outperformed other schools. On average, across all specialist schools, specialist status is linked to higher results at GCSE whether this is on the 5+A*-C measure, VA or CVA.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Grant  
			 Core grant (Specialist school work) 2,739,988 7,896,490 9,972,501 11,087,000 13,315,000 
			 Vocational/WRL — 426,855 1,192,625 1,770,425 1,540,000 
			 Raising Achievement Transforming Learning — 2,618,000 5,151,590 5,353,977 6,800,000 
			 ICT — — 323,500 1,090,150 295,000 
			 Academies — — 382,993 1,400,000 3,042,381 
			 Other 1,282,826 32,400 — 2,380,080 7,966,000 
			 Sub Total 4,022,814 10,973,745 17,023,209 23,081,632 32,918,381 
			   
			  Contracts  
			 TIPD 330,000 338,400 761,922 1,239,370 1,012,000 
			 Language Colleges—Sections Européennes project 18,650 14,615 11,385 29,660 32,000 
			 LEP — — — — 1,190,000 
			 Sub Total 348,650 353,015 773,307 1,269,030 2,234,000 
			   
			 Total 4,371,464 11,326,760 17,796,516 24,350,662 35,152,381

Teachers: Pay

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average full-time equivalent gross pay of teachers in Huddersfield schools was  (a) in cash terms and  (b) at current prices in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The Huddersfield area falls within the Kirklees local authority and the information contained within the following tables is the expenditure on teaching staff supplied by Kirklees.
	
		
			  School expenditure on teaching staff( 1)  by local authority maintained schools( 2 ) in Kirklees local authority: 1997-98 to 2006-07( 2,3,4,5,6,7) 
			  Cash terms prices  (£) 
			   Teaching staff (E01)  Supply teaching staff (E02)  Agency supply teaching staff (E26) ( 1) Total teaching staff 
			 1997-98 n/a n/a n/a 84,664,000 
			 1998-99 n/a n/a n/a 87,087,000 
			  
			 1999-2000 n/a n/a n/a 97,893,000 
			 2000-01 n/a n/a n/a 104,825,000 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a n/a 114,288,000 
			  
			 2002-03 111,326,000 2,915,666 2,541,666 116,782,000 
			 2003-04 121,826,000 2,837,000 2,750,000 127,413,000 
			 2004-05 126,930,000 3,760,000 1,923,000 132,612,000 
			 2005-06 134,365,000 3,901,000 2,572,000 140,838,000 
			 2006-07 139,209,000 3,393,000 3,508,000 146,110,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Real terms prices (£) 
			   Teaching staff (E01)  Supply teaching staff (E02)  Agency supply teaching staff (E26)  Total teaching staff 
			 1997-98 n/a n/a n/a 105,249,000 
			 1998-99 n/a n/a n/a 105,588,000 
			  
			 1999-2000 n/a n/a n/a 116,341,000 
			 2000-01 n/a n/a n/a 122,831,000 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a n/a 130,788,000 
			  
			 2002-03 123,533,000 3,234,000 2,820,000 129,588,000 
			 2003-04 131,379,000 3,059,000 2,965,000 137,403,000 
			 2004-05 133,202,000 3,946,000 2,018,000 139,166,000 
			 2005-06 138,107,000 4,009,000 2,644,000 144,759,000 
			 2006-07 139,209,000 3,393,000 3,508,000 146,110,000 
			 n/a = not available. (1) Expenditure by maintained schools on teaching staff includes all expenditure on salaries and wages consisting of gross pay, including bonuses and allowances, maternity pay and the employers contributions to national insurance and superannuation. This relates to all teachers (including supply teachers) paid within the scope of the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Act 1991/Education Act 2002. The figures for 2002-03 onwards also include the cost paid to an agency for teaching staff that have been brought in to cover teacher absence. (2) Includes expenditure by all local authority maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in Kirklees local authority. However the figures for 2002-03 exclude any expenditure by local authority maintained nursery schools in Kirklees as expenditure by those schools was not collected in that year. (3) 1999-2000 saw a change in data source when the data collection moved from the RO1 form collected by the ODPM to the Section 52 form from the DfES. 2002-03 saw a further break in the time series following the introduction of Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) to schools and the associated restructuring of the outturn tables. The change in sources is shown by the blank row. (4) The calculation for 2002-03 onwards is broadly similar to the calculation in previous years. However, for some LAs, expenditure that had previously been attributed to the school sectors was reported within the central LA part of the form from 2002-03, and would therefore be excluded for 2002-03 onwards. However the exact amount of this is not quantifiable from existing sources. (5) Spending in 1997-98 reflects the transfer of monies from local government to central government for the nursery vouchers scheme. These were returned to local government from 1998-99. (6) The 1999-2000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance. (7) 2006-07 figures is subject to change by the local authority.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds. 2. Cash terms figures are converted to 2006-07 prices using the October 2007 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators. 3. Figures as reported by Kirklees local authority as at 7 November 2007.

Teachers: Vacancies

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time teacher vacancies there were in local authority maintained (i) primary, (ii) middle and (iii) upper schools in Suffolk in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: Information on teacher vacancies is available for nursery/primary and secondary Schools. Middle schools are included within both these two phases, as deemed, and upper schools within the secondary figures but neither group can be identified separately.
	The following table provides the number of full-time and part-time vacancies in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in Suffolk local authority and England in each January since 2003.
	
		
			  Full-time( 1)  and part-time vacancy( 2)  numbers in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in Suffolk local authority and England, in January 2003 to 2007 
			   Nursery and primary  Secondary 
			  January  Full-time  Part-time  Full-time  Part-time 
			  Suffolk 
			 2003 6 — 17 — 
			 2004 20 0 47 1 
			 2005 16 3 7 6 
			 2006 9 1 16 2 
			 2007 6 1 31 5 
			  England 
			 2003 1,114 — 2,050 — 
			 2004 778 133 1,627 191 
			 2005 743 134 1,553 201 
			 2006 709 146 1,340 154 
			 2007 658 101 1,214 151 
			 (1) Advertised vacancies for full-time permanent appointments (or appointments of at least one term's duration). Includes vacancies being filled on a temporary basis of less than one term. (2) Part time vacancies were not collected prior to 2004.  Source:  DCSF Annual 618g Survey

Teachers: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers working in English schools reside in Wales.

Jim Knight: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The information requested is not collected centrally.

Truancy: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to reduce the levels of truancy in local education authority areas in Hampshire; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Government are focused on driving down all unnecessary absence so that pupils get their full entitlement to education. I have asked every local authority to aim to reduce absence in all their schools to below 2002/03 average levels for similar schools; and to ensure that pupils who miss a fifth or more of the school year are brought back into education. We have targeted authorities such as Portsmouth and Hampshire for extra support to reduce persistent absence.
	The support given to pupils and their families is focused on their individual circumstances and needs using multi-agency approaches, such as Targeted Youth Support and support for pupils with longer term and recurring illnesses, to address the underlying causes of the absence and, where appropriate, sanctions such as penalty notices and prosecutions.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which Minister in his Department is responsible for implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Jim Knight: The Minister for Children, Young People and Families, Beverley Hughes, is the Minister with responsibility for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Voluntary Schools: Faith Schools

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the future provision of voluntary aided faith primary schools.

Jim Knight: The Government are committed to a diverse system of schools driven by, and responsive to, parental needs and aspirations. We do not have targets for numbers of new faith schools, but we remain committed to supporting the establishment of new schools by a range of providers, including faith organisations, where local consultation has shown that this is what parents and the community want, and where this greater diversity will help to raise standards.
	School place planning is the statutory responsibility of each local authority. The Secretary of State plays no part in this process.
	If an authority wishes to make any changes to voluntary school provision they must work with the local diocese, and any other relevant school providers in the area, and publish statutory proposals.
	Where the need for a new school has been identified, faith providers may enter their own proposals for a new voluntary aided school in response to a competition held by the local authority. Providers may also publish their own proposals to establish a new voluntary aided school, with the Secretary of State's consent, outside of a competition.
	Decisions on statutory proposals are normally made by local authorities, except for proposals for a new school where the local authority is the proposer or has a role in the trust of a proposed trust school. Other proposals may be decided by the schools adjudicator if the local authority fails to decide proposals within two months or following an appeal by the bodies for which there is explicit provision in the relevant legislation.
	When taking decisions on statutory proposals the local authority and schools adjudicator must have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State. This guidance sets out a range of factors that must be considered including a requirement to consider the impact on the balance of denominational provision when deciding proposals to close a school with a religious character.

Young People: Literacy

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) 11-year-olds,  (b) 13-year-olds and  (c) 16-year-olds in London who were functionally illiterate in each of the last 12 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Improving standards of literacy is one of the Government's top priorities. Since 1997 the results achieved by 11-year-olds and 14-year-olds as measured by National Curriculum tests in English have risen dramatically. Provisional data for 2007 shows that 80 per cent. of 11-year-olds in England reached the expected level or above, an increase of 17 percentage points since 1997; and 74 per cent. of 14-year-olds reached the expected level or above, an increase of 17 percentage points since 1997.
	We judge children's attainment at age 11, 14 and 16 through Key Stage tests and GCSEs. The tables show the proportion of pupils in London achieving the expected level for their age, but failing to meet the expected levels is not equivalent to functional illiteracy.
	The table shows the proportion of pupils in London achieving the expected level (level 4) or above in Key Stage 2 English tests for each year since 1998(1.)
	(1) Local government boundary changes mean that comparisons before 1998 are not valid.
	
		
			   Proportion  of pupils 
			 1998 64 
			 1999 68 
			 2000 73 
			 2001 75 
			 2002 74 
			 2003 76 
			 2004 77 
			 2005 79 
			 2006 80 
			 2007 79 
		
	
	At age 11 (the end of Key Stage 2) the expected level of achievement is level 4. Provisional figures show that while 79 per cent. of 11-year-olds achieved at least level 4 in English in 2007, 93 per cent. achieved at least level 3. That means they can read a range of texts accurately and independently; and their writing is organised, legible and clear. Level 4 is a much more demanding standard—children achieving level 4 have literacy skills that mean they can access complex forms of language and complex ideas. They can use inferences and deduction and can locate and use ideas and information. Their writing in a range of forms is lively and thoughtful. Their handwriting style is fluent, joined and legible. They use full stops, capital letters and question marks accurately and can use punctuation within a sentence. Of the 7 per cent. of children who do not achieve either level 3 or level 4, many have special and in some cases severe educational needs.
	The following table shows the proportion of pupils in London achieving the expected level (level 5) or above in Key Stage 3 English tests for each year since 1998:
	
		
			   Proportion of pupils 
			 1998 62 
			 1999 60 
			 2000 61 
			 2001 62 
			 2002 64 
			 2003 66 
			 2004 70 
			 2005 74 
			 2006 73 
			 2007 74 
		
	
	At age 14 (the end of Key Stage 3) the expected level of achievement is level 5. Pupils achieving level 5 are able to speak in ways which suit different situations. They show understanding of the different things they are reading and can explain how writers influence readers. They can write in different ways that are interesting to the reader, using different sentence structures, putting writing in paragraphs and using punctuation accurately.
	The following table shows the proportion of pupils in London achieving five or more grades A*-C or equivalent, including GCSE English and mathematics for each year since 1998:
	
		
			   Proportion of pupils 
			 1998 32.4 
			 1999 33.9 
			 2000 35.1 
			 2001 36.7 
			 2002 38.5 
			 2003 39.3 
			 2004 41.0 
			 2005 43.0 
			 2006 45.6 
			 2007 47.2 
		
	
	The provisional figures for 2007 show that 60 per cent. of pupils in England achieved at least Grade C in GCSE English. We do not publish disaggregated figures for GCSE subjects at local authority level.

Young People: Unemployment

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many 16 and 17 year olds are not at school, attending a full-time training course or in work.

Jim Knight: The following tables show participation in education, training and employment for 16 and 17-year-olds in 2006 (proportions and numbers).
	
		
			  Participation in education and training of 16 and 17-year-olds—males and females, England, end of calendar year 2006 
			  Percentage 
			   16  17  16 and 17 together 
			  Education and training 
			 Full-time education 78.1 65.0 71.5 
			 Work Based Learning (WBL) 5.7 7.8 6.8 
			 Of which WBL in full-time education 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 Of which WBL in part-time education 0.2 0.3 0.2 
			 Employer Funded Training (EFT) 2.3 4.0 3.1 
			 Of which part-time education 0.3 0.6 0.5 
			 Other Education and Training (OET)1 3.9 4.9 4.4 
			 Of which part-time education 3.3 4.2 3.8 
			  Total education and WBL( 2)  87.2  77.5  82.4 
			  Total education and training( 3)  89.7  81.5  85.6 
			 Not in any education or training—in employment 3.9 9.0 6.4 
			 Not in any education, employment or training (NEET) 6.5 9,5 8.0 
			  Total not in any education or training (NET)( 4)  10.3  18.5  14.4 
			 All 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			 
			 Population (thousand) 662.3 659.5 1,321.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Number 
			   16  17  16 and 17 together 
			  Education and training 
			 Full-time education 516,900 428,600 945,500 
			 Work Based Learning (WBL) 37,700 51,600 89,300 
			 Of which WBL in full-time education 1,300 1,200 2,500 
			 Of which WBL in part-time education 1,100 1,700 2,900 
			 Employer Funded Training (EFT) 15,000 26,700 41,600 
			 Of which part-time education 2,200 4,100 6,300 
			 Other Education and Training (OET)(1) 25,600 32,000 57,600 
			 Of which part-time education 22,100 27,900 50,000 
			  Total Education and WBL( 2)  577,600  510,900  1,088,500 
			  Total Education and training( 3)  593,800  537,600  1,131,400 
			 Not in any education or training—in employment 25,600 59,300 84,900 
			 Not in any education, employment or training (NEET) 42,800 62,700 105,500 
			  Total not in any education or training (NET)( 4)  68,500  121,900  190,400 
			 All 662,300 659,500 1,321,800 
			 
			 Population (thousand) 662,300 659,500 1,321,800 
			 (1) Includes part-time education not funded by employers or through WBL; also full- or part-time education in independent FE and HE institutions. (2) Total of all full-time and part-time education and WBL (less WBL in full-time education), equivalent to local level estimates for education and training. (3) Total of all full-time education and WBL (less WBL in full-time education) plus EFT and OET. (4) The remainder of the age group.

HEALTH

NHS Dentistry

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the current level of access to NHS dentistry.

Ann Keen: The most recent access data are for the two-year period ending in March 2007. These data show that around 28 million people accessed NHS dental services at least once during this period. This is the same as the number who accessed services in the two years ending March 2006. We are committed to widening access to NHS dentistry, and will look to Primary Care Trusts to do this as part of their role as commissioners of health services.

NHS Dentistry

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the level of access to NHS dentistry.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier.

NHS Dentistry

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of access to NHS dentistry.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier.

NHS Dentistry

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve access to NHS dentistry.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier.

NHS Dentistry

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on access to NHS dentistry.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier.

Emergency Treatment

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that patients requiring emergency care are taken to the nearest accident and emergency department.

Ben Bradshaw: High quality, safe emergency care needs to deliver appropriate, timely care in the most appropriate setting. Patients are not always taken to the nearest accident and emergency department. Some may be treated at the scene, some taken to minor injury units or walk-in centres, and others may be taken directly to specialist units at other hospitals, receiving care on the way.

Health Spending

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage change has been in health spending between 1996-97 and 2007; and what the percentage change in consultant finished case episodes has been over that period.

Ben Bradshaw: Spending on the national health service rose by 91 per cent. in real terms between 1996-97 and 2007-08. The growth in finished consultant episodes over the same period was 31 per cent. (tbc).

NHS Trusts

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to NHS trusts on the material and literature they make available to patients on their premises; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Patient information is central to the overall quality of each patient's experience.
	The Department has issued guidance to national health service trusts outlining good practice in the development of patient information.
	However, information available to patients is the responsibility of local national health service organisations.

GP Service Provision

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had on out-of-hours GP service provision.

Ben Bradshaw: None, but my officials regularly meet with a group of out-of-hours providers brought together by the NHS Alliance.

Maternity Services

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to recruit more midwives; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: This year NHS organisations have been required to review maternity services, including an assessment of their workforce capacity. We expect some to identify the need to recruit additional midwives and a range of mechanisms are in place to support local recruitment, for example to enable midwives who are not practising to return to work in maternity services.

Sevenoaks Hospital

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the beds closed at Sevenoaks Hospital to be re-opened.

Dawn Primarolo: The South East Coast Strategic Health Authority report that the West Kent Primary Care Trust intends to reopen the beds at Sevenoaks Hospital in a phased manner over the next 12 to 18 months.

Primary Care Trusts

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of primary care trusts that have fully implemented all National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines.

Dawn Primarolo: Performance in implementing National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) technology appraisals and clinical guidelines is included within the scope of the Healthcare Commission's Annual Health Check. The 2006-07 annual health check self-assessments, which have been subject to targeted and random inspections by the Healthcare Commission, show that 89 per cent. of national health service organisations assess themselves as conforming with NICE's technology appraisal guidance. 90 per cent. of national health service trusts have assessed themselves as making excellent, good or fair progress towards implementing NICE's clinical guidelines.

"Our NHS, Our Future" Initiative

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the implications for Greater London of the interim report arising from the "Our NHS, Our Future" initiative.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary care trusts in London have begun consultation on the vision set out in Lord Darzi's July report to NHS London which he made before he was appointed a Minister. The interim report of the NHS next stage review, published in October, begins to articulate an overarching vision for the future of the NHS across England, based on world-class quality services that are fair, personalised, effective and safe.

"Our NHS, Our Future" Initiative

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the interim report arising from "Our NHS, Our Future".

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State's statement of 10 October.

Drug Misuse

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Dawn Primarolo: It is recognised that the misuse of both prescription and over the counter medicines is under reported and, as such, it is difficult to assess the scale of the problem. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) uses a variety of methods of collecting information on the safety of both prescription and over the counter medicines including concerns about misuse. In light of evidence of misuse, the MHRA has taken regulatory action for a number of medicines including paracetamol, codeine, co-proxamol and pseudoephedrine/ephedrine.

Horton General Hospital

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next expects to visit the Horton general hospital in Banbury.

Ivan Lewis: There are currently no plans by Ministers at the Department to visit Horton general hospital. However, invitations are considered on a case by case basis and depend upon diary pressures and parliamentary business. Therefore, if the hon. Member wishes to, he may send a formal request to Ministers.

Breast Cancer

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to reduce deaths caused by breast cancer since 1997.

Ann Keen: We have taken a number of steps to reduce deaths from breast cancer specifically.
	Working in partnership, with Cancer Research UK, we produce the "Be Breast Aware" leaflet, advising women on the importance on being breast aware and knowing what signs or changes to look out for. Over a million copies of this leaflet are produced each year.
	In September 2000 we published the NHS Cancer Plan, which introduced a number of targets and initiatives aimed specifically at breast cancer. These were:
	the introduction of two-view mammography to improve detection rates,
	extension of the screening age range to include women aged up to 70,
	that there should be a maximum one month wait from diagnosis to treatment for breast cancer and a maximum two month wait from urgent general practitioner referral to treatment for breast cancer, and
	a review of the Department's improving outcomes in breast cancer guidance by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
	As well as updating the breast cancer guidance in August 2002, NICE has produced clinical guidelines for familial breast cancer and has issued appraisals on nine drugs to treat breast cancer, more than for any other cancer type, and is currently appraising a further two drugs.
	We have also provided Section 64 funding to a number of breast cancer charities to improve awareness of breast cancer.
	We are currently developing the Cancer Reform Strategy, which will set out the future direction of cancer services in England. We aim to publish by the end of the year.
	In September, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced proposals for cancer services including extending the breast cancer screening age range to women aged between 43 and 73 and a guaranteed appointment with a specialist within two weeks of referral for all patients with breast problems, not just those with suspected cancer.

Breast Cancer: Health Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to educate young women about the importance of diagnosing breast cancer at the early stages to improve survival rates.

Ann Keen: It is important for women of all ages to be breast aware. That is why together with Cancer Research UK the Department produces the "Be Breast Aware" leaflet, which advises women on the importance on being breast aware and what signs to watch for. Over a million copies of this leaflet are produced each year. It is also available online from both the NHS Choices and the NHS Cancer Screening Programme websites.
	The leaflet is widely available from primary care surgeries and breast screening units and is available in Bengali, Chinese, Gurjarati, Polish, Punjabi, Urdu and Vietnamese.
	It is important to note that breast cancer in young women is very rare, with over 80 per cent. of breast cancer cases occurring in women aged over 50 and only 4.9 per cent. in those aged under 40.

Breast Cancer: North East Region

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of women screened for breast cancer in  (a) Gateshead,  (b) Sunderland and  (c) the North East in the last 12 months were being screened less than 36 months after a previous screening.

Ann Keen: Information is not available for the last 12 months. The following table outlines the current uptake of breast screenings in the North East strategic health authority area for the latest period that figures are available.
	
		
			  Breast screening programme: coverage of women aged 53-64( 1)  for the North East SHA, by Primary Care Organisation 
			 As at 31 March 2006 
			 Eligible population( 2)  Number of women screened  Coverage (less than 3 years since last test) ( Percentage ) 
			  England   3,633,181 2,756,716 75.9 
			   
			  North East SHA   188,399 147,306 78.2 
			   County Durham and Tees Valley 86,004 66,574 77.4 
			  5J9 Darlington 7,378 5,742 77.8 
			  5KA Derwentside 6,562 4,904 74.7 
			  5KC Durham and Chester-Le-Street 11,216 9,168 81.7 
			  5J8 Durham Dales 7,308 5,933 81.2 
			  5KD Easington 6,985 5,529 79.2 
			  5D9 Hartlepool 6,467 4,500 69.6 
			  5KN Langbaurgh 8,034 6,542 81.4 
			  5KM Middlesbrough 11,689 8,188 70.0 
			  5E1 North Tees 12,987 10,649 82.0 
			  5KE Sedgefield 7,378 5,419 73.4 
			   
			   Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 102,395 80,732 78.8 
			  5KF Gateshead 14,523 11,700 80.6 
			  5D7 Newcastle 15,187 11,119 73.2 
			  5D8 North Tyneside 15,215 11,979 78.7 
			  TAG Northumberland Care Trust 26,800 21,365 79.7 
			  5KG South Tyneside 10,713 8,586 80.1 
			  5KL Sunderland Teaching 19,957 15,983 80.1 
			 (1 )The breast screening programme covers women aged 50-64 but it was extended to invite women aged 65-70 in April 2001. The last unit began inviting women in April 2006, full coverage to age 70 should be achieved by 2008-09. Until then coverage of the screening programme is best assessed using the 53-64 age group as women may be first called at any time between their 50(th) and 53(rd) birthday. (2 )This is the number of women in the resident population less those recorded as ineligible.  Source :  KC63

Breast Cancer: Screening

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of which groups are typically under-represented in the NHS routine breast cancer screening programme; and what steps he is taking to increase the uptake of routine breast cancer screening among these groups.

Ann Keen: holding answer 8 November 2007
	People who live in deprived areas are less likely to attend for screening. For example, for cultural and religious reasons, women from minority ethnic groups are less likely to accept invitations for screening than the general population as a whole. Language and access to acceptable and meaningful information can also be a significant barrier and can affect coverage levels.
	The national informed choice leaflet, Breast Screening: The Facts, which is sent out with every invitation for screening, has now been translated into 19 languages. In December 2003, National Health Service Cancer Screening Programmes published Inequalities of Access to Cancer Screening: A Literature Review. The recommendations in the review have been sent to all local screening programmes. It is for primary care trusts, in close collaboration with their local screening programmes and stakeholders, to decide how best to provide and promote breast screening services for their local populations.
	On a national level, a paper on inequalities will be discussed by the United Kingdom National Screening Committee (NSC) at their next meeting on 20 November. The NSC will consider what future action should be taken to reduce inequalities in our screening programmes.
	Inequalities in cancer screening are also being considered as part of the development of the new cancer reform strategy, which we hope to publish by the end of the year. An equality impact assessment will also be published alongside the strategy.

Cancer: Consultants

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many oncologists per capita there were in each strategic health authority area in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The information requested is available in the following tables.
	
		
			  Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): medical and dental staff working within medical oncology and clinical oncology specialties by strategic health authorities, England as at 30 September each year 
			  Number (headcount) 
			2000  2001  2002  2003 
			Clinical oncology  Medical oncology  Clinical oncology  Medical oncology  Clinical oncology  Medical oncology  Clinical oncology  Medical oncology 
			  England 711 404 776 435 785 504 803 596 
			   
			 Q30 North East Strategic Health Authority 44 11 48 10 44 20 45 21 
			 Q31 North West Strategic Health Authority 84 52 93 58 89 66 88 77 
			 Q32 Yorkshire & The Humber Strategic Health Authority 69 35 78 44 79 51 85 56 
			 Q33 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 52 18 56 15 60 15 62 16 
			 Q34 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 33 45 37 46 46 37 57 39 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 104 23 112 25 112 32 119 38 
			 036 London Strategic Health Authority 137 144 161 155 154 175 134 226 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 27 24 30 22 29 31 40 32 
			 Q38 South Central Strategic Health Authority 68 27 59 27 64 47 56 63 
			 Q39 South West Strategic Health Authority 93 25 102 33 108 30 117 28 
		
	
	
		
			  Number (headcount) 
			2004  2005  2006 
			Clinical oncology  Medical oncology  Clinical oncology  Medical oncology  Clinical oncology  Medical oncology 
			  England 952 572 990 582 1,052 601 
			 
			 Q30 North East Strategic Health Authority 44 22 53 19 48 22 
			 Q31 North West Strategic Health Authority 96 60 101 68 106 73 
			 Q32 Yorkshire & The Humber Strategic Health Authority 107 48 118 43 112 65 
			 Q33 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 74 15 78 11 86 17 
			 Q34 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 72 46 64 52 63 61 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 137 39 131 43 150 52 
			 036 London Strategic Health Authority 199 214 225 207 229 210 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 41 38 42 51 52 35 
			 Q38 South Central Strategic Health Authority 64 50 62 41 77 29 
			 Q39 South West Strategic Health Authority 118 40 116 47 129 37 
		
	
	
		
			  Number (headcount) per 100,000 population 
			2000  2001  2002  2003 
			Clinical oncology  Medical oncology  Clinical oncology  Medical oncology  Clinical oncology  Medical oncology  Clinical oncology  Medical oncology 
			  England 1.4 0.8 1.6 0.9 1.6 1.0 1.6 1.2 
			   
			 Q30 North East Strategic Health Authority 1.7 0.4 1.9 0.4 1.7 0.8 1.8 0.8 
			 Q31 North West Strategic Health Authority 1.2 0.8 1.4 0.9 1.3 1.0 1.3 1.1 
			 Q32 Yorkshire & The Humber Strategic Health Authority 1.4 0.7 1.6 0.9 1.6 1.0 1.7 1.1 
			 Q33 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 1.2 0.4 1.3 0.4 1.4 0.4 1.5 0.4 
			 Q34 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 0.6 0.9 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.7 1.1 0.7 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 1.9 0.4 2.1 0.5 2.1 0.6 2.2 0.7 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 1.9 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.4 1.8 3.1 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.5 0.7 0.7 1.0 0.8 
			 Q38 South Central Strategic Health Authority 1.8 0.7 1.5 0.7 1.6 1.2 1.4 1.6 
			 Q39 South West Strategic Health Authority 1.9 0.5 2.1 0.7 2.2 0.6 2.3 0.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Number (headcount) per 100,000 population 
			2004  2005  2006 
			Clinical oncology  Medical oncology  Clinical oncology  Medical oncology  Clinical oncology  Medical oncology 
			  England 1.9 1.1 2.0 1.2 2.1 1.2 
			 
			 Q30 North East Strategic Health Authority 1.7 0.9 2.1 0.7 1.9 0.9 
			 Q31 North West Strategic Health Authority 1.4 0.9 1.5 1.0 1.5 1.1 
			 Q32 Yorkshire & The Humber Strategic Health Authority 2.1 0.9 2.3 0.8 2.2 1.3 
			 033 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 1.7 0.3 1.8 0.3 2.0 0.4 
			 Q34 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 1.4 0.9 1.2 1.0 1.2 1.1 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 2.5 0.7 2.4 0.8 2.7 0.9 
			 036 London Strategic Health Authority 2.7 2.9 3.0 2.8 3.0 2.8 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.2 1.2 0.8 
			 038 South Central Strategic Health Authority 1.6 1.3 1.6 1.0 1.9 0.7 
			 Q39 South West Strategic Health Authority 2.3 0.8 2.3 0.9 2.5 0.7 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census. Mid 2007 Resident Population Estimate (2001 Census Based), Office for National Statistics.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many GPs have received specialist training on chronic fatigue syndrome;
	(2)  what the average number of GP visits made by patients was before being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome over the last five years;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to develop statistical and qualitative data on the life experiences and employment histories of people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome;
	(4)  how many specialist care and treatment facilities for chronic fatigue syndrome are provided by the NHS in each region.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of general practitioners (GPs) who have received specialist training for chronic fatigue syndrome is not collected.
	Information on the average number of GP visits made by patients before being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome is not collected.
	We have no plans to develop such statistical and qualitative data.
	The number of specialist care and treatment facilities for chronic fatigue syndrome is not collected centrally.

Children: Abuse

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish guidelines on therapeutic and preventative interventions to be made available for children who have  (a) been abused and  (b) abused others.

Ann Keen: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The joint Department of Health and National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) Victims of Violence and Abuse Prevention programme (Vrapp) are developing National Service Guidelines on therapeutic and preventive interventions for—child victims of domestic violence;
	child victims of sexual abuse; and
	children who have been exploited through prostitution pornography and trafficking.
	The Vrapp National Service Guidelines will also include therapeutic and preventive interventions for:
	young people who sexually abuse; and
	young people who are perpetrators of domestic violence.
	These guidelines are based on research that has been conducted and reviewed by the Vrapp programme and will be published by April 2008.

Dental Services: Conditions of Employment

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the conclusions of the review of the outcome of the first year of operation of the new dentists' contracts.

Ann Keen: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The Department published its report on the first year of the dental reforms on 7 August 2007. The report 'NHS Dental Reforms: One year on' is available in the Library, and is also available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_077238

Departmental Bodies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all task forces and steering groups being run by his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: In a survey carried out in autumn 2006, the Department identified over 200 working groups, which engaged stakeholders in working with the Department on policy, strategy and delivery. Such working groups, including task forces and steering groups are set up by the Department's policy sections as needed and disbanded when no longer required.

Departmental Policy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the presentation entitled Policy Costing Overview given at the Financial Management and Steering Group meeting on 23 March,  (a) where the areas of good practice on policy costing that already existed were and  (b) which areas were identified at this stage in which policy makers needed additional help to improve their forecasting of financial impacts.

Ben Bradshaw: The areas of good practice in policy costing and areas where additional help was needed have varied across the Department. The Policy Costing Handbook has sought to raise the consistency and standard.

Departmental Policy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Policy Appraisal and Health document, dated November 2004.

Ben Bradshaw: A copy of the Department's Policy Appraisal and Health Document dated November 2004 has been placed in the Library. The document can also be found at the following website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4095414.pdf

Departmental Policy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the presentation entitled Policy Costing Overview given at the Financial Management and Steering Group meeting on 23 March, what independent financial challenge function existed within his Department prior to this date.

Ben Bradshaw: The Revenue Investment Branch was formed in April 2006 to provide an independent revenue challenge function through a dedicated team.

Departmental Restructuring

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what action points his Department intends to adopt to address the seven challenges identified as part of the Department's restructuring exercise given at the presentation to the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23 March 2007;
	(2)  with reference to the presentation entitled Policy Costing Overview given at the Financial Management and Steering Group meeting on 23 March, what steps his Department has taken to make progress in each of the six areas identified as improvement objectives; what specific problems had been identified in each of these six areas; and how he is monitoring the progress made in each of these six areas.

Ben Bradshaw: Action was taken during 2006 on the seven challenges identified in January 2006 in the Department's restructuring exercise. This was summarised in chapter 11 of the Department's departmental report 2007 and included:
	development of the new Policy and Strategy Directorate;
	action to strengthen the challenge role of finance, including appointments to new posts of group and business finance controllers in support of the Director General, Finance and Investment;
	creation of new Directorates for Commissioning and for Provider Development;
	appointment of a Director General for Social Care, to lead a new directorate;
	expanded membership for the Departmental Management Board (DMB), and development of a new structure of board committees, to strengthen corporate governance; and
	new and stronger corporate support arrangements for the Department, based on a business partnering model.
	Further changes to the Department's top structure have been made in 2007 consequent on the decision to split the Department's permanent secretary and NHS chief executive roles and to clarify lines of accountability and responsibility. Action on the six areas for business improvement identified in 2006-07 continued into 2007-08, as set out in the Department's business plan published in March 2007.
	The Department's recent capability review has highlighted the areas that need further attention. The Department has set out its action plan, including timed deliverables and metrics, in the development plan published by the permanent secretary in September 2007. The departmental board will monitor progress against the plan, and will keep Ministers informed.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will break down the figures referred to in the answer of 25 October 2007,  Official Report, column 550W, on Departments: official hospitality, to give the amounts spent on each function at which hospitality expenses were incurred.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Diabetes: Eastern Region

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in  (a) the East of England and  (b) Suffolk in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows data on the numbers of patients on diabetes registers in general practices available from the Quality and Outcomes Framework data but only for the financial years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	
		
			   2006-07  2005-06  2004-05 
			   Patients  Identified prevalence (percentage)  Patients  Identified prevalence (percentage)  Patients  Identified prevalence (percentage) 
			 East of England SHA 202,796 3.5 — — — — 
			 Suffolk PCT 20,590 3.4 — — — — 
			
			 East of England SHA — — 194,917 3.4 181,928 3.2 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire — — 80,190 3.5 75,633 3.3 
			 Essex — — 58,110 3.4 53,107 3.1 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire — — 56,617 3.2 53,188 3.1 
			
			 Suffolk PCT Total — — 19,755 3.3 18,491 3.2 
			 Central Suffolk — — 3,398 3.3 3,220 3.1 
			 Ipswich — — 5,023 3.3 4,714 3.1 
			 Suffolk Coastal — — 3,473 3.4 3,103 3.2 
			 Suffolk West — — 7,861 3.4 7,454 3.2 
			  Notes:  1. Due to changes in strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT) configurations, and the fact that East of England SHA and Suffolk PCT only came into existence in 2006, the figures quoted for 2005-06 and 2004-05 were originally for the old SHAs (Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, Essex and Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire) and PCTs (Central Suffolk, Ipswich, Suffolk Coastal and Suffolk West) that were in existence at the time which have been summed to give figures for the new bodies.  2. Diabetes Prevalence The disease register in QOF for diabetes does not include any patient below the age of 17. However the denominator is all registered patients. This means that the reported prevalence is lower than the actual value.  3. Coverage of QOF—Patients will only contribute to the figures in QOF if they are registered with a general practice participating in QOF. Not all practices participate in QOF and some participate in only some parts (especially Primary Medical Service practices who are paid under different arrangements for providing services which are part of QOF for general medical service practices). Most indicators in QOF have rules which allow for patients to be excluded (e.g. patient refuses treatment) and so the denominator for a given indicator may be less than the number of patients on the register for that disease. Note also that some indicators have age limits and so exclude some patients on the register.   Source:  Information Centre.

Doctors: Careers Structure

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether any changes have been made to the  (a) terms and  (b) value of the Medical Training Application Service contract with Methods Consulting Ltd in light of the alterations to the scope of the project since the security breaches earlier in 2007; and whether any compensation has been paid by Methods Consulting Ltd in respect of breach of contract conditions;
	(2)  what the cost has been of the Medical Training Application System, including  (a) its implementation,  (b) the remedial action taken and  (c) the reviews which were commissioned on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The total cost of the Medical Training Application System (MTAS), including set up, was £1.9 million in 2006-07. The estimated cost of the system over five years is £6.3 million.
	There is a continuing and ongoing need for this service. For instance, it is being used by Deaneries to track offers. The supplier has made appropriate changes to the security arrangements at their own expense.
	The Modernising Medical Careers team has worked closely with the MTAS suppliers, Methods, to ensure that previous problems have been appropriately managed.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Trust: Industrial Disputes

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will inquire into the reasons for the maintenance craft workers at Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust taking strike action on 5 November.

Ann Keen: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The resolution of local disputes is a matter for the NHS organisation concerned.

Eyesight: Testing

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in Huddersfield have had free eye tests since 1 April 1999.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. Information on persons aged 60 and over will be available at primary care trust level in the publication "General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales: April 2007-September 2007". This will be published by March 2008.
	The total number of national health service sight tests paid for in England for persons aged 60 and over for the years ending 31 March 2005-07 are included in the following table. These are taken from reports published by the Information Centre for health and social care (IC) and are counts of patients who cited their age as being 60 or over as the reason for being entitled to a free eye test. Information for the year ending 31 March 2005 is the earliest data published by the IC.
	
		
			  Total number of NHS sight tests paid for in England for persons aged 60 and over in the specified years ending 31 March 
			   Number 
			 2005 4,303,128 
			 2006 4,450,007 
			 2007 4,518,672 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care 
		
	
	The 2007 report "General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales year ending 31 March 2006" is available in the Library. The 2005 and 2006 reports, "General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales October 2004—March 2005 and year ending 31 March 2005", are available in the Library.

Genetics

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish Dr. Harper's review of the 2003 Genetics White Paper.

Ann Keen: Work on the Review of the Genetics White Paper "Our inheritance. Our Future—realising the potential of genetics in the NHS" (2003) is in its final stages. The review process has involved consultation with key stakeholders with an interest in genetics in healthcare, and their views and comments will be reflected in the report of the review when it is published shortly. While the review has been progressing, our continuing commitment to improving genetics services in the national health service has led to the renewal of several contracts, including those with the National Genetics Reference Laboratories and the National Genetics Education and Development Centre as well as continued commitments to the ongoing funding of additional scientific trainer and trainee posts in the NHS.

Health Professions: Huddersfield

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) doctors,  (b) nurses and  (c) other health service staff were employed in Huddersfield constituency (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the requested format. Staff numbers for the relevant national health service organisations is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   30 September 1997  30 September 2006 
			   Calderdale Healthcare NHS Trust  Huddersfield NHS Trust  Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust  Kirklees Primary Care Trust 
			 Total hospital and community health services NHS staff 2,911 3,444 5,495 1,367 
			 Medical and dental staff 179 185 487 22 
			 Total non-medical staff 2,798 3,259 5,008 1,345 
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 1,397 1,606 2,504 719 
			 Support to clinical staff 875 940 1,729 229 
			 Infrastructure support 526 711 773 397 
			 Other 0 2 2 0 
			  Note:  In 2001 Calderdale Healthcare NHS Trust and Huddersfield NHS Trust merged to form the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust and hospital and community health service staff in Kirklees PCT. The organisations listed are those covering the Huddersfield area in the specified years. Due to restructuring in the NHS, it is not possible to say categorically that these figures are directly comparable. There were 262 general practitioners and 179 practice nurses recorded as working for Kirklees PCT in 2006. In 1997 these staff would have been recorded in Calderdale and Kirklees Health Authority, and it is not possible to break down their data to identify Kirklees alone.   Sources:  The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census and The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census.

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct the Myocardial Infarction Audit Project to investigate the impact of centralising services for heart attack treatment on patient outcomes.

Ann Keen: The Myocardial Infarction National Audit Project (MINAP) database is linked to the Office of National Statistics data on mortality and is therefore able to provide analyses of patient outcomes as and when required.
	A more comprehensive assessment of the impact of centralising services for heart attack treatment will be provided by the results of a feasibility study which the Department is conducting jointly with the British Cardiac Vascular Society into extending the provision of specialist primary angioplasty services for treatment of heart attack. A report on interim findings from the study is due shortly and a final report during 2008.

Hospital Beds: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to increase the availability of hospital beds in the West Midlands since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: It is for the national health service locally to make decisions on bed numbers and occupancy rates. The Department expects NHS trusts to ensure that there are sufficient beds available to react to changing local circumstances, such as local demand and staff availability and thereby ensure the delivery of a safe and flexible service.

Hospitals: Milk

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS hospitals store mother's milk to feed children other than those of the donors; what the cost of such collection and storage is; upon whose authority in each case the decision whether or not to form a storage bank is made; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 12 November 2007
	 The following NHS hospitals store mother's milk.
	Huddersfield Royal Infirmary
	Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital
	Addenbrooke's NHS Trust
	Princess Royal University Hospital
	Medway Maritime Hospital
	Birmingham Women's Health Care NHS Trust
	King's College Hospital
	John Radcliffe Hospital
	Princess Anne Hospital
	Ashford and St. Peter's Hospital NHS Trust
	St. George's Hospital
	Kingston Hospital
	Countess of Chester Hospital
	Clatterbridge Hospital
	Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
	Information on the cost of storage and collection is not collected centrally. Decisions on whether or not to form a storage bank are made locally. The United Kingdom (UK) Association of Milk Banks (UKAMB) has produced "Guidelines for the establishment and operation of Human Milk Banks" in the UK which should be taken into account in any discussions. The UKAMB exists to provide a forum for the exchange of information about milk banking. It also recommends standards for the practice of milk banking.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust: Clostridium

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the findings of the Healthcare Commission's investigation into outbreaks of  clostridium difficile at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust between April 2004 and September 2006.

Ann Keen: holding answer 12 November 2007
	We take the findings of the Healthcare Commission's investigation into the outbreaks of  clostridium difficile at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust very seriously. The Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) made a statement to the House on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 49-50WS, about  C difficile and, specifically, the Healthcare Commission report.
	The trust, working with its primary care trusts and strategic health authorities, have been focussing on improving their performance on healthcare associated infection (HCAI). The Healthcare Commission is working with the trust to put in place an action plan to address the recommendations in the report. We expect the new management of the trust to implement all of the measures which have been put into place to tackle HCAI and to meet the new public service agreement target to reduce  clostridium difficile infections by 30 per cent. by March 2011.
	The National Health Service Chief Executive wrote to every NHS trust with a copy of the report, to ensure that all NHS organisations take account of the Healthcare Commission's findings in their local plans and to reconfirm that the drive to improve infection control is a top priority for the NHS.
	We have made it clear through the code of practice for the prevention and control of HCAIs, introduced in October 2006, that we expect the NHS to implement effective infection control policy and procedures. In addition, Secretary of State set out our response to the five national recommendations in the statement on 15 October.

Mental Health Services: Huddersfield

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health workers were employed to deal with people with mental health problems in Huddersfield  (a) in 1997 and  (b) at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The information is not collected in the requested format. In 2002, mental health services from Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust and Wakefield and Pontefract Community Health NHS Trust merged to form the South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust. It is not possible to provide the specific numbers of staff in each unit who left to form the new organisation.
	As of 30 September 2006, the South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust employed 1,672 staff to deal with people with mental health problems, of whom 1,105 were professionally qualified clinical staff and 567 were support for clinical staff.

Methyl Methacrylate: Health Hazards

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints have been received by the Health Protection Agency of ill-effects from the use of methyl methacrylate in nail bars in each of the last three years to  (a) consumers and  (b) employees.

Dawn Primarolo: The Health Protection Agency has no record of any complaints received of ill effects from the use of methyl methacrylate in nail bars in any of the last three years to consumers and employees.

Milton Keynes Hospital: Cleaning Services

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Milton Keynes Hospital is expected to receive its deep clean.

Ann Keen: holding answer 12 November 2007
	As the Prime Minister made clear, deep cleaning will occur in all hospitals, starting this winter, with resources allocated through the strategic health authorities (SHAs). All trusts will submit costed deep clean plans to their lead commissioners who will monitor performance against this plan, as per normal performance management arrangements, and SHAs will take an overview as to progress across their area by the end of the financial year.
	Information on plans of individual trusts is therefore not routinely collected centrally by the Department.

MRSA

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to minimise the spread of the PVL strain of MRSA at NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Good infection control practice is important for control of Panton-Valentine Leukocidine (PVL) producing strains of  Staphylococcus aureus.
	In addition, specific interim guidance on diagnosis and management of PVL-associated Staphylococcal infections in the United Kingdom developed was published on the Department's website in April 2006. This is available at:
	www/dh/gov.uk/en/Aboutus/MinistersandDepartmentLeaders/ChiefMedicalOfficer/Features/DH_4133761
	We have asked the Health Protection Agency to review and update this and a revised version will be available shortly.

MRSA

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has made of  (a) the incidence of those carrying MRSA,  (b) the number of those infected following operations,  (c) the incidence of MRSA septicaemia and  (d) deaths attributable to MRSA within the private hospital system.

Ann Keen: These data are not collected centrally and we do not produce estimates of infections in private hospital.
	The Office for National Statistics produces annual reports into deaths involving methicillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The last report as published in HSQ 33 in February 2007 and included data for 2005. The reports include information on 'place of death'. The place an individual dies may not be the same place as where an infection was first contracted.
	In England and Wales, between 2001 and 2005, 17 death certificates from persons who died in non-national health service general hospitals mentioned MRSA.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to ensure that payments made to strategic health authorities to reverse the resource accounting and budgeting deductions applied to NHS trusts in 2006-07 have been passed on to the trusts that faced these deductions.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department ensured that payments were made by strategic health authorities (SHAs) to national health service trusts reversing resource accounting and budgeting deductions, by requiring that the payments were separately identified in the monthly financial monitoring returns from SHAs.

NHS: Manpower

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people who work for the NHS in England reside in Wales.

Ann Keen: holding answer 12 November 2007
	This information is not collected centrally.

Nutrition: Water

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department supports the World Health Organisation definition of water as an important nutrient.

Dawn Primarolo: The United Kingdom Government agree with the World Health Organization that water is critical to human life.
	In temperate climates, such as the UK, the Government advise that six to eight glasses (about 1.2 litres) of water, or other fluids, should be consumed every day to prevent dehydration. This amount should be increased when the weather is warm or when exercising. Fluid intake is also achieved through food eaten.
	The Government have commissioned no specific research on the health effects of drinking water but keeps abreast of research in this area.

Ovarian Cancer: Screening

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by the trial for ovarian cancer screening; what the expected completion date of this trial is; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening is a large randomised controlled trial that aims to assess the impact of two screening strategies in the general population. It will involve 200,000 post-menopausal women aged 50-74. The trial is jointly funded by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, and the national health service research and development programme. The trial is progressing and is expected to be completed in November 2012.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review  (a) the level of prescription charges and  (b) the long-term conditions which allow exemption from prescription charges.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government review the level of prescription charges annually.
	The Government's current review of prescription charges will be inviting views later this autumn on possible options for changes to prescription charges that are cost neutral to the national health service.

Primary Care Trusts: Finance

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the costs borne by primary care trusts for providing dental care are taken into account in the funding provided by his Department.

Ann Keen: holding answer 12 November 2007
	 Primary Care trusts (PCTs) assumed responsibility for commissioning all elements of primary dental care services from 1 April 2006. PCTs were awarded devolved primary dental service funding allocations from that date. Individual funding allocations were based on the level of dental activity and costs observed in each area in the 12 month period October 2004 to September 2005, with appropriate additions to absorb subsequent annual contract value upratings, previously agreed service developments, and expected changes associated with the new ways of working fostered by the new contract terms available to dentists. These allocations were planned to allow PCTs to honour the commitment to offer all serving dentists new contracts at their previous levels of national health service earnings in return for maintaining their levels of NHS commitment, and provide a stable base from which PCTs could plan the further development of dental services using the flexibilities offered by the new contract to make the most effective use of dental resources. PCTs are also free to supplement provision for dentistry from within their total NHS resources if they consider this an appropriate local priority. Based on PCTs' initial devolved dental allocations, NHS net expenditure on primary care dental services in 2006-07, after taking account of the contribution from patient charges, was over £400 million higher than in 2003-04, an increase of 30 per cent.

Radiotherapy

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many linear accelerators operating in England are more than 10 years old; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 12 November 2007
	As at July 2007 there were 22 machines installed in the national health service over 10 years old. Of these, 14 were awaiting delivery of replacement machines awarded under central programmes to purchase new and replacement equipment and facilities to provide better access to services. The remaining eight have been replaced via the central programmes but the trusts decided to retain their older machines in addition to meet local needs.
	We do not hold information on whether these older machines are in routine clinical use. Some of these machines may be used for clinical research, training purposes or used as back up when another machine requires maintenance.

Social Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many clients were placed by  (a) English social services departments in Wales and  (b) Welsh social services departments in England, in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 12 November 2007
	Information about the activities of English social services departments is not collected centrally.
	Information about the activities of Welsh social services departments is the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly.

TREASURY

Banks: Debts

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional measures he has put in place to ensure full disclosure of bad debts in the  (a) retail and  (b) wholesale banking sector in the last 12 months.

Kitty Ussher: Disclosures by companies are governed by accounting standards. Compliance with the relevant accounting standards (for example, those promulgated by the Accounting Standards Board or the International Accounting Standards Board) is needed if a company's accounts are to provide the required true and fair view. International Financial Reporting Standard 7 was brought into UK GAAP as Financial Reporting Standard 29 in 2007. This does not specifically cover bad debts but it requires disclosure of the significance of financial instruments for an entity's financial position and financial performance, plus quantitative and qualitative information about exposure to risks arising from financial instruments.

Childbirth

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes in the prevalence of multiple births in England have taken place in the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your request for information on changes in the prevalence of multiple births in England in the last 10 years. (163274)
	The latest year for which data are available is 2005. The table below shows the multiple maternity rates for mothers usually resident in England—this is the number of maternities with multiple births per 1,000 total maternities in that year.
	
		
			  Multiple maternity rate for mothers usually resident in England (multiple maternities per 1,000 maternities), 1996-2005 
			   Maternities with multiple births  per 1,000 maternities 
			 1996 13.8 
			 1997 14.5 
			 1998 14.4 
			 1999 14.4 
			 2000 14.7 
			 2001 14.8 
			 2002 15.0 
			 2003 14.9 
			 2004 15.1 
			 2005 15.0 
			  Note:  Figures include maternities where live births and/or stillbirths occurred.

Childbirth

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many births there were in England in each of the last 10 years, broken down by the age of the mother at the time of birth.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your request for information on how many births there were in England in each of the last 10 years, broken down by the age of the mother at the time of the birth. (163275)
	The latest year for which data are available is 2005. The attached table provides data on live births to mothers usually resident in England by single year of age from 1996 to 2005.
	
		
			  Live births to mothers usually resident in England, by age, 1996-2005 
			   1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Under 15 264 269 271 247 268 279 255 208 203 195 
			 15 1,218 1,207 1,156 1,125 1,107 1,061 999 969 951 907 
			 16 4,152 4,140 3,916 3,791 3,539 3,436 3,349 3,390 3,418 3,264 
			 17 8,690 9,091 9,229 8,683 8,232 7,956 7,989 8,096 8,182 8,074 
			 18 11,885 12,995 13,491 13,572 12,685 12,162 12,082 12,470 12,701 12,457 
			 19 15,188 15,301 16,694 17,472 16,696 16,116 15,823 16,150 16,463 16,826 
			 20 18,246 17,557 17,539 18,873 18,887 18,928 18,190 18,548 19,274 19,628 
			 21 20,187 19,556 18,661 18,815 19,376 20,274 20,296 20,423 20,831 21,007 
			 22 23,049 21,636 21,065 19,994 19,457 20,636 21,856 22,228 22,757 22,798 
			 23 26,213 24,295 22,995 22,042 20,579 20,732 21,945 24,052 24,648 24,682 
			 24 30,116 28,115 26,202 24,414 23,023 21,742 22,014 24,354 26,311 26,767 
			 25 35,212 32,099 29,691 27,489 25,805 24,402 23,839 24,782 27,401 29,089 
			 26 37,546 37,056 34,209 31,510 28,875 27,345 26,307 26,768 27,535 29,906 
			 27 40,772 38,608 38,191 35,400 31,978 30,202 29,162 29,690 29,296 30,296 
			 28 42,566 41,452 39,356 38,568 35,922 33,036 31,611 32,461 32,367 31,902 
			 29 43,418 42,343 41,240 39,230 38,869 36,477 34,551 35,072 35,067 34,704 
			 30 43,017 42,074 41,566 40,226 38,278 38,406 37,326 37,035 36,714 36,156 
			 31 40,821 39,859 39,505 38,560 37,606 36,987 37,798 38,360 38,450 37,726 
			 32 36,459 36,949 37,083 36,157 35,312 35,234 35,345 37,938 37,877 36,640 
			 33 31,198 32,534 32,908 32,770 31,958 31,683 32,393 34,094 36,611 35,672 
			 34 26,044 27,264 28,695 29,104 28,639 28,278 29,376 31,112 32,030 33,347 
			 35 21,042 22,628 23,828 24,373 24,794 24,976 25,484 27,044 28,307 28,635 
			 36 16,731 17,831 18,786 19,416 20,513 20,619 21,341 22,536 23,725 24,133 
			 37 12,462 13,666 14,439 14,843 15,800 16,339 17,137 18,505 19,331 19,678 
			 38 9,379 10,069 10,593 11,040 11,630 12,070 13,107 14,450 15,142 15,282 
			 39 6,779 7,250 7,799 8,147 8,594 8,800 9,552 10,805 11,529 11,935 
			 40 4,583 4,936 5,240 5,508 5,764 6,347 6,622 7,389 7,992 8,405 
			 41 2,971 3,193 3,440 3,526 3,808 3,956 4,289 4,791 5,229 5,516 
			 42 1,843 1,961 2,015 2,106 2,269 2,462 2,640 2,850 3,193 3,379 
			 43 1,022 1,105 1,129 1,243 1,284 1,370 1,431 1,645 1,750 1,942 
			 44 547 607 626 616 648 709 743 803 963 1,030 
			 45+ 564 556 553 608 631 724 857 833 936 1,050 
			 Total 614,184 608,202 602,111 589,468 572,826 563,744 565,709 589,851 607,184 613,028

Death: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths there were in  (a) Bexley and  (b) Greater London as a result of diabetes in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths there were in (a) Bexley and (b) Greater London as a result of diabetes in each of the last five years for which information is available. (162071)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths where diabetes (i) was the underlying cause of death and (ii) was mentioned on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributing factor, in (a) the London Borough of Bexley and (c) Greater London, for 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths from diabetes,( 1,2)  London  b orough of Bexley and Greater London( 3) , 2002-06( 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   London borough of Bexley  Greater London 
			   '(i) Underlying cause  (ii) Any mention  (i) Underlying cause  (ii) Any mention 
			 2002 16 71 721 2,565 
			 2003 18 89 684 2,614 
			 2004 16 80 622 2,424 
			 2005 13 91 565 2,645 
			 2006 14 110 546 2,687 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes E10-E14 (diabetes mellitus). (2) Figures shown as 'any mention' (column ii) include those where diabetes was recorded as the underlying cause (column i). (3) Based on boundaries as of 2007. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Death: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths there were in  (a) Bexley and  (b) Greater London as a result of being (i) overweight and (ii) underweight in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths there were in (a) Bexley, (b) Greater London as a result of being (i) overweight and (ii) underweight in each of the last five years for which information is available. (162073)
	The terms 'overweight' and 'underweight' are not normally used in the registration of deaths. Consequently, figures can only be provided for deaths recorded using the medically recognised terms 'obesity' and 'malnutrition' or 'effects of hunger'. The number of deaths so recorded is unlikely to be a complete or accurate reflection of the actual numbers of deaths which result, directly or indirectly, from being overweight or underweight.
	The attached tables provide the numbers of deaths where (i) obesity and (ii) malnutrition or effects of hunger were mentioned on the death certificate, for (a) the London Borough of Bexley and (b) Greater London, for the years 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1:  N umber of deaths from obesity,( 1)  London borough of Bexley, Greater London( 2) , 2002-06( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Bexley  Greater London 
			 2002 1 61 
			 2003 2 70 
			 2004 3 73 
			 2005 2 69 
			 2006 4 87 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code E66 (obesity). Deaths were included where this cause was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2007. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2:  N umber of deaths from malnutrition and effects of hunger,( 1)  London borough of Bexley, Greater London( 2) , 2002-06( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Bexley  Greater London 
			 2002 0 22 
			 2003 0 27 
			 2004 0 17 
			 2005 1 16 
			 2006 2 25 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes E40-E46 (malnutrition) and T73.0 (effects of hunger). Deaths were included where one of these causes was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2007. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Departmental Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on official hospitality in 2007-08.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury's spending on official hospitality for the first seven months of 2007-08 is £14,000. All expenditure, including that on hospitality, has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many reports have been made to his Department's nominated officers under paragraph 16 of the revised Civil Service Code since its publication on 6 June 2006;
	(2)  how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported to his Department by departmental staff since 6 June 2006;
	(3)  when his Department's whistleblowing procedures were reviewed to reflect the provisions in the revised Civil Service Code.

Angela Eagle: None. The Department's whistleblowing procedures were reviewed in autumn 2006.

Departmental Manpower

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants in his Department  (a) transferred to other Government departments and  (b) left the Civil Service in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many civil servants in departments  (a) transferred to other Government departments and  (b) left the Civil Service in each of the last five years. (162730)
	Statistics on employees leaving the Civil Service are published as part of the annual Civil Service Statistics publication. The latest published statistics are for 2006.
	Statistics on civil servants transferring between departments are not published. In order to provide information on transfers out to other departments, an ad hoc analysis has been required. This analysis is based on the Mandate survey which currently provides approximately 90 per cent. coverage of Civil Service departments and agencies. A breakdown by department has been provided for the latest year. For earlier years, only a total for the Civil Service could be provided.
	
		
			  Civil Service— l eavers by  d epartment and  g ender— permanent h eadcount 
			  Year  Table 
			 2002 Table I (no breakdown by department available) http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/documents/pdf/stats/css02.pdf 
			 2003 Table AK—http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/documents/xls/statistics/stats_report_2003/diversity_tables/table_ak.xls 
			 2004 Table AK—http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/documents/xls/statistics/stats_report_2004/entrants_and_leavers/Table%20AK%20-%20final.xls 
			 2005 Table AJ—http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/documents/xls/statistics/stats_report_2005/2005table_aj.xls 
			 2006 Table W—http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/CivilService2006TablesandCharts.xls 
		
	
	
		
			  Transfers to other Government departments—permanent headcount  y ear to 30 September 2006 
			  Department  Transfers to other Government Departments 
			  Attorney General's Departments  
			 Crown Prosecution Service 30 
			 Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate 10 
			 Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers * 
			 Serious Fraud Office — 
			 Treasury Solicitor 30 
			  Cabinet Office  
			 Cabinet Office (excl. agencies) — 
			 Central Office of Information — 
			 Privy Council Office — 
			 Parliamentary Counsel Office — 
			  HM Treasury  
			 HM Treasury 40 
			  Chancellor's other departments  
			 Debt Management Office — 
			 Government Actuary's Department 10 
			 National Savings and Investments — 
			 Office of Government Commerce — 
			 OGCbuying.solutions — 
			 Office for National Statistics 70 
			 Royal Mint * 
			  HM Revenue and Customs  
			 Former Inland Revenue * 
			 Former Customs and Excise — 
			 Valuation Office 10 
			  Charity Commission  
			 Charity Commission 10 
			  Communities and Local Government  
			 Department for Communities and Local Government (excl. agencies) 110 
			 Fire Service College — 
			 Ordnance Survey * 
			 Planning Inspectorate * 
			 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre — 
			  Constitutional Affairs  
			 Department of Constitutional Affairs (excl. agencies) — 
			 HM Courts Service — 
			 Land Registry 10 
			 National Archives — 
			 Public Guardianship Office — 
			 Tribunals Service — 
			 Scotland Office — 
			 Wales Office — 
			  Culture, Media and Sport  
			 Department for Culture Media and Sport 10 
			 Royal Parks 0 
			  Defence  
			 Ministry of Defence (including Royal Fleet Auxiliary) 200 
			 Army Base Repair Organisation 10 
			 Defence Aviation Repair Agency * 
			 Defence Science and Technology Laboratory 20 
			 Meteorological Office * 
			 UK Hydrographic Office 0 
			  Education and Skills  
			 Department for Education and Skills 210 
			  Office for Standards in Education  
			 Office for Standards in Education — 
			  Environment, Food and Rural Affairs  
			 Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (excl. agencies) 180 
			 Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science * 
			 Central Science Laboratory 10 
			 Government Decontamination Services * 
			 Marine Fisheries Agency * 
			 Office of Water Services * 
			 Pesticides Safety Directorate * 
			 Rural Payments Agency — 
			 State Veterinary Service 0 
			 Veterinary Laboratories Agency 0 
			 Veterinary Medicines Directorate 0 
			  Export Credits Guarantee Department  
			 Export Credit Guarantee Department 30 
			  Foreign and Commonwealth Office  
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (excl agencies) * 
			 Wilton Park Executive Agency * 
			  Health  
			 Department of Health (excl agencies) 130 
			 Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency — 
			 National Healthcare Purchasing and Supplies — 
			 NHS Pensions Agency — 
			 Food Standards Agency — 
			 Meat Hygiene Service — 
			  Home Office  
			 Home Office (excl agencies) 320 
			 Assets Recovery Agency — 
			 Criminal Records Bureau — 
			 HM Prison Service 80 
			 Identity and Passport Service — 
			  International Development  
			 Department for International Development — 
			  Northern Ireland Office  
			 Northern Ireland Office 10 
			  Security and Intelligence Services  
			 Security and Intelligence Services 10 
			  Trade and Industry  
			 Department of Trade and Industry (excl agencies) 20 
			 Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service — 
			 Companies House — 
			 Insolvency Service 10 
			 National Weights and Measures Laboratory 0 
			 Office of Fair Trading — 
			 Office of Gas and Electricity Market — 
			 Postal Services Commission — 
			 Small Business Service 0 
			 UK Intellectual Property Office 0 
			  Transport  
			 Department for Transport (excl agencies) 60 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 40 
			 Driving Standards Agency 30 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency — 
			 Highways Agency 20 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency — 
			 Office of Rail Regulation — 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 0 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 10 
			  Work and Pensions  
			 DWP Corporate and Shared Services 180 
			 Child Support Agency 60 
			 Disability and Carers Service 30 
			 Job Centre Plus 630 
			 Pension Service 110 
			 The Health and Safety Executive 210 
			 The Rent Service — 
			  Scottish Executive  
			 Scottish Executive (excl agencies) 10 
			 Communities Scotland 0 
			 Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service — 
			 Courts Group * 
			 Fisheries Research Services 0 
			 General Register Scotland * 
			 HM Inspectorate of Education * 
			 Historic Scotland 0 
			 Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland 0 
			 National Archive for Scotland 0 
			 Office of Accountant in Bankruptcy * 
			 Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator 0 
			 Registers of Scotland * 
			 Scottish Agricultural Scientific Agency 0 
			 Scottish Buildings Standards Agency 0 
			 Scottish Court Service * 
			 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency * 
			 Scottish Prison Service — 
			 Scottish Public Pensions Agency 0 
			 Social Work Inspection Agency 0 
			 Student Awards Agency 0 
			 Transport Scotland * 
			  Welsh Assembly  
			 National Assembly for Wales 10 
			 ESTYN 0 
			 Assembly Parliamentary Service — 
			 Total employment 3,000 
			  Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest ten, and numbers less than five are represented by "*". Data not available are represented by "—"  Source:  Mandate 
		
	
	
		
			  Transfers to other government departments—permanent headcount 
			  Year to 1 April  Transfers to other Government Departments 
			 2002 4,310 
			 2003 2,500 
			 2004 2,520 
			 2005 3,080 
			  Source:  Mandate

Departmental Manpower

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Welsh speakers his Department employs.

Angela Eagle: It is not compulsory for HM Treasury employees to declare that they are Welsh speakers, however, four employees have declared that they are Welsh speakers.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the 10 largest bonus payments made to staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies were in the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: Performance bonuses to HM Treasury's SCS are paid in line with the SSRB report on senior civil service salaries. Bonuses for 2006-07 will be paid at the end of November 2007. Details of the remuneration of Treasury Board members is given in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts each year.

Devolution: Finance

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish tables corresponding to that set out in Annex C of Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: Statement of Funding Policy, for each year since 1999-2000.

Andy Burnham: The tables in Annex C of the Statement of Funding Policy contain the comparability factors used in the Barnett formula. The Statement of Funding Policy was first published in 1999 and has been updated and published in each spending review since then. The latest version was published on 9 October 2007 and is available on the Treasury's website at hm-treasury.gov.uk.

Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will rank local authorities by the employment rate in their area in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment. (162676)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1, attached, shows the working age employment rates for all local authorities, for the period March 1997 to February 1998, from the annual LFS, and Table 2 shows the same information for the period April 2006 to March 2007 (the latest period for which data are available) from the APS. In both tables the local authorities are listed in order of their employment rates. A copy of the tables has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	These statistics are published each quarter for all parliamentary constituencies and local authorities in the local area labour market statistical indicators publication (accessible from www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14160). The latest data are also published in the Labour Market Statistics regional First Releases (accessible from www.statistics.gov.uk/onlineproducts/lms_regional.asp).
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty. Estimates for the City of London in particular are based on very few observations. The employment rate is the number of working age people, in employment, who are resident in the area (not the number who work in the area), expressed as the percentage of all working age people resident in the area. Further, estimates of change over time for all areas should be treated with caution.

Employment: Lone Parents

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the average annual change in the employment rate among lone parents was in the years between  (a) 1992 and 1997 and  (b) 1997 and 2006;
	(2)  what the annual change in the employment rate for lone parents was in each year since 1992.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about annual changes in lone parent employment rates. (162363, 162679)
	The information requested is shown in the attached table.
	Estimates are taken from the Office for National Statistics's Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Employment rates of working age( 1)  lone parents with dependent children( 2 ) United Kingdom, spring (March-May) 1992 to 2006, not seasonally adjusted 
			   Annual change( 3)  (percentage points) 
			 1992-93 1.4 
			 1993-94 -0.2 
			 1994-95 0.5 
			 1995-96 1.9 
			 1996-97 1.2 
			 1997-98 1.2 
			 1998-99 1.7 
			 1999-2000 2.9 
			 2000-01 0.3 
			 2001-02 1.6 
			 2002-03 -0.1 
			 2003-04 1.2 
			 2004-05 2.2 
			 2005-06 0.3 
			   
			 Average 1992-97 1.0 
			 Average 1997-2006 1.3 
			 (1) Men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59. (2) Children under 16 and those aged 16-18 who are never-married and in full-time education. (3) Base for percentages excludes people with unknown employment status.  Source: Labour Force Survey

Foreign Workers: Multiple Occupation

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of  (a) non-UK EU and  (b) non-EU nationals in employment in the UK who reside in communal establishments; whether houses in multiple occupation are regarded as communal establishments for the purposes of counting non-UK nationals in employment in the UK; and what criteria he used for this purpose.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about what recent estimates have been made of the number of  (a) non-UK EU and  (b) non-EU nationals in employment in the UK who reside in communal establishments; whether houses in multiple occupation are regarded as communal establishments for the purposes of counting non-UK nationals in employment in the UK; and what criteria is used for this purpose. (162353)
	The Labour Force Survey covers people resident in private households and in NHS accommodation in the UK. A random sample is drawn from the 'small users' sub-file of the Postcode Address File (PAF) for Great Britain. This sub-file contains addresses which receive less than 50 items of mail a day and so covers 97% of private households in GB but not most communal establishments. For Northern Ireland, the Valuation List is used instead of the PAF.
	A study completed by ONS in 2005 investigated extending the LFS to cater for residents in small communal establishments such as hotels and guesthouses. The results concluded that it was possible to collect information from this type of accommodation and that the study should be extended to cover other communal establishments. Therefore, the ONS plans to investigate methods to collect data from communal establishments in the future and this extension, would in principle pick up the resident and migrant workers living there who are currently excluded. However, until such time, it is not possible to estimate their numbers from the LFS.
	The 2001 Census definition of a communal establishment is one providing managed residential accommodation with either full time or part time supervision. Therefore, multi-occupant households are not considered to be communal establishments. Houses in multiple occupation are included in the 'small users' sub-file PAF and sampled in the LFS and all residents of these households are interviewed including non-UK Nationals.

Investment

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) net and  (b) gross rate of (i) tangible and (ii) intangible investment was in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on what the (a) net and (b) gross rate of (i) tangible and (ii) intangible investment was in each year since 1997. (162308)
	The information available is shown in the table 1 below (the four letter codes in brackets are ONS series identifiers). Net investment series are not produced but figures for capital consumption are presented in table 2 and can be used at current prices to derive net investment, which is presented in table 3.
	More information about capital consumption is available in the 'Capital Stocks, Capital Consumption and Non-Financial Balance Sheets 2007' publication, available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=10730&Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=272
	
		
			  Table 1: Gross fixed capital formation 
			  £ million 
			   Tangible  Intangible  Transfer costs  Total GFCF 
			   CP  CVM  CP  CVM  CP  CVM  CP  CVM 
			   (EQCQ)  (EQDS)  (DLXP)  (EQDT)  (DFBH)  (DFDW)  (NPQX)  (NPQR) 
			 1997 123,732 122,854 8,936 10,438 5,639 12,951 138,307 144,472 
			 1998 140,524 142,732 9,461 10,742 6,012 12,098 155,997 164,249 
			 1999 143,987 145,621 10,023 11,079 7,712 13,088 161,722 169,117 
			 2000 147,681 148,509 10,670 11,445 8,821 12,810 167,172 173,710 
			 2001 150,323 152,571 11,326 11,742 10,133 12,960 171,782 178,203 
			 2002 155,527 157,257 12,614 12,371 12,410 14,097 180,551 184,701 
			 2003 160,790 160,790 13,850 13,850 12,060 12,060 186,700 186,700 
			 2004 170,644 167,152 14,164 14,457 17,452 16,046 202,260 197,655 
			 2005 180,550 172,672 14,387 14,077 16,925 13,904 211,862 200,654 
			 2006 196,438 185,879 15,485 14,960 21,587 16,247 233,510 217,085 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Capital  c onsumption 
			  £ million 
			   Tangible  Intangible  Transfer costs  Total 
			   CP  CP  CVM  CP  CVM  CP  CVM 
			  (EXCT+GRSH+GRSN+GRST) (BGUC) (GRYP) (EXCU) (EXDH) (NQAE) (CIHA) 
			 1997 82,351 7,189 8,576 5,639 12,950 95,179 101,460 
			 1998 84,763 8,186 9,051 6,012 12,096 98,961 105,466 
			 1999 88,849 8,946 9,586 7,712 13,087 105,507 110,533 
			 2000 92,843 9,587 10,066 8,821 12,809 111,251 114,722 
			 2001 95,407 10,256 10,565 10,133 12,960 115,796 118,072 
			 2002 98,477 11,027 11,186 12,410 14,097 121,914 123,405 
			 2003 101,729 11,764 11,764 12,060 12,060 125,553 125,553 
			 2004 105,161 12,571 12,236 17,452 16,047 135,184 133,203 
			 2005 108,331 13,098 12,745 16,925 13,903 138,354 133,706 
			 2006 112,248 13,885 13,300 21,587 16,248 147,720 139,227 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Net  f ixed  c apital  f ormation 
			  £ million 
			   Tangible  Intangible  Transfer costs  Total 
			   CP  CP  CP  CP 
			   EQCQ-(EXCT+GRSH +GRSN+GRST)  (DLXP-BGUC)  (DFBH-EXCU)  (NPQX-NQAE) 
			 1997 41,381 1,747 0 43,128 
			 1998 55,761 1,275 0 57,036 
			 1999 55,138 1,077 0 56,215 
			 2000 54,838 1,083 0 55,921 
			 2001 54,916 1,070 0 55,986 
			 2002 57,050 1,587 0 58,637 
			 2003 59,061 2,086 0 61,147 
			 2004 65,483 1,593 0 67,076 
			 2005 72,219 1,289 0 73,508 
			 2006 84,190 1,600 0 85,790 
			  Notes: 1. CP = Current prices. Prices in nominal terms.  2. CVM = Chained volume measures. Real terms.  3. CVM values are non-additive prior to the base year, 2003.

Listeria Monocytogenes

Ian Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths were recorded due to listeria infections in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths were recorded due to listeria infections in each of the last five years. (162913)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2005. The table below shows the number of deaths where listeria infection was either the underlying cause of death, or was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate as a contributory factor, in England and Wales from 2001 to 2005.
	
		
			  Number of deaths where listeria infection( 1)  was the underlying cause of death, or was mentioned on the death certificate, England and Wales, 2001 to 2005( 2) 
			   Underlying cause  Mentions 
			 2001 7 13 
			 2002 5 10 
			 2003 18 29 
			 2004 17 29 
			 2005 15 27 
			 (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (LCD-10). Text of death certificates with the following codes were searched for mentions of listeria infection: A32 - Listeriosis O35.8 - Maternal care for other (suspected) fetal abnormality and damage P37.2 - Neonatal (disseminated) listeriosis (2) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.

Listeria: Death

Ian Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths were attributed to listeria in each of the last five years in  (a) the UK and  (b) Norfolk.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths were attributed to Listeria in each of the last five years in (a) the UK and (b) Norfolk. (163653)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where listeria infection was either the underlying cause of death, or was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate as a contributory factor, in the UK, for 2001 to 2005 (the latest year available). There were no deaths attributed to listeria in Norfolk county in those years.
	
		
			  Table 1: number of deaths where listeria infection( 1,2)  was the underlying cause of death, or was mentioned on the death certificate, UK( 3) , 2001 to 2005( 4) 
			  Persons 
			   (i) Underlying cause  (ii) Any mention 
			 2001 9 18 
			 2002 8 16 
			 2003 20 32 
			 2004 20 36 
			 2005 16 29 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), codes A3 2 (Listeriosis), O35.8 (Maternal care for other (suspected) foetal abnormality and damage, with mention of listeria infection in the text of the death certificate), and P37.2 (Neonatal (disseminated) listeriosis). (2) Figures shown as 'any mention' (column ii) include those where listeria infection was recorded as the underlying cause (column i). (3) Figures include data provided by the Registrars General for Scotland and Northern Ireland. (4) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year for England and Wales, and for deaths registered in each calendar year for Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Members: Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects HM Revenue and Customs to reply substantively to the letter of 30 April 2007 from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford, regarding a constituent, Mrs. C. Austin (HMRC ref: 2007/05 00517); what the reasons are for the time taken to reply; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Although it is HM Revenue and Customs' practice to reply to the majority of letters from right hon. and hon. Members within three weeks, following the administrative issue I referred to in my statement of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 62-63WS, some parts of HMRC's tax credits business have, unfortunately, been subject to delays. HMRC regret this and will continue to try to deal with all cases as quickly as they can.
	These delays are a result of HMRC having to look again at cases potentially affected by the procedural error and to ensure that households/individuals affected by the error are not given incorrect advice in advance of their award being reviewed.
	The three months indicated in the recent letter to the hon. Member was intended to be helpful and indicate the latest date by which HMRC hoped to have resolved the inquiry.

Minimum Wage

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1185W, on the minimum wage, what percentage of those in the South West Region earning less than the minimum wage are  (a) male and  (b) female.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Answer of 30th October 2007, Official Report, column 1185W, on the minimum wage, what percentage of those in the South West Region earning less than the minimum wage are (a) male and (b) female. (163955)
	I attach a table showing the number of jobs earning less than the national minimum wage by Government Office Region. Estimates for the number of jobs paid below the national minimum wage by region by gender are not available.
	A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnkr=5837
	
		
			  Estimates of UK jobs paid below minimum wage by Government office region 
			   2007 
			  Government office region  Thousand  Percentage 
			 North East 16 1.5 
			 North West (including Merseyside) 32 1.2 
			 Yorks and Humber 24 1.2 
			 East Midlands 25 1.4 
			 West Midlands 26 1.2 
			 Eastern 27 1.2 
			 London 23 0.7 
			 South East 32 0.9 
			 South West 25 1.1 
			 Wales 17 1.5 
			 Scotland 30 1.3 
			 Northern Ireland 15 2.1 
			 All* 292 1.2 
			  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics

Office for National Statistics: Internet

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to improve the accessibility and user-friendliness of the Office for National Statistics website.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13( th) November 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question regarding what steps has been taken to improve the accessibility and user-friendliness of the Office for National Statistics website. (162306)
	The Office currently has a major project underway to review and improve its website, adopting the principles of user-centred design in order to ensure that it delivers the usability and functionality that its users require. The initial improvements to its website will focus on the area explaining the Office's new independent status following the passage of the Statistics and Registration Act 2007 which comes into force in April 2008. Thereafter the intention is to roll out a programme of improvements across the statistical areas of the website by 2009.

Pay

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) mean and  (b) median salary, including the pro-rata salary for part-time workers, of (i) full-time men, (ii) full-time women, (iii) part-time men and (iv) part-time women was in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) mean and (b) median salary including pro-rata salary for part-time workers of (i) full-time men, (ii) full-time women, (iii) part-time men and (iv) part-time women was in the UK in each of the last 10 years. (164072)
	Levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all full-time employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE survey, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	I attach a table showing the mean and median gross weekly earnings for full-time, part-time males and females from 1991 to 2007 for the UK.
	
		
			  Gross  w eekly pay for  e mployee jobs( a)  by UK 
			   Full Time Employees  Full Time Male  Full Time Female 
			   Median £  Growth Rate  Mean £  Growth Rate  Median £  Growth Rate  Mean £  Growth Rate  Median £  Growth Rate  Mean £  Growth Rate 
			 1997 321 — 373 — 357 — 416 — 265 — 301 — 
			 1998 335 5 393 5 373 4 438 6 277 4 315 5 
			 1999 346 3 408 4 384 3 453 4 289 4 331 5 
			 2000 359 4 425 4 398 4 472 4 298 3 345 4 
			 2001 376 5 450 6 416 5 499 6 314 5 367 6 
			 2002 391 4 472 5 430 4 523 5 331 5 387 5 
			 2003 404 3 487 3 445 3 539 3 343 4 401 4 
			 2004 excl 423 5 506 4 463 4 557 3 361 5 422 5 
			 2004 inc(b) 419 — 498 — 460 — 548 — 357 — 417 — 
			 2005 431 3 516 4 471 2 568 4 371 4 436 5 
			 2006 excl(c) 446 4 538 4 487 3 592 4 386 4 453 4 
			 2006 inc(c) 444 — 535 — 484 — 590 — 383 — 450 — 
			 2007 457 3 550 3 498 3 606 3 394 3 463 3 
			 (a) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (b) In 2004 additional supplementary surveys were introduced to improve the coverage of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Figures are presented both excluding and including the additional surveys for comparison purposes. (c) In 2006 a small number of methodological changes were introduced to improve the quality of the survey These include changes to the sample design itself, as well as the introduction of an automatic occupation coding tool. Figures are presented both excluding and including these changes for comparison purposes.  Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. All of the figures on this table have a CV of less than 5%. CV <= 5% * CV > 5% and <= 10% ** CV> 10% and <=20% x CV > 20%  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics. 
		
	
	
		
			  Gross  w eekly pay for  e mployee jobs( a)  by UK 
			   Part Time Employees  Part Time Male  Part Time Female 
			   Median £  Growth Rate  Mean £  Growth Rate  Median £  Growth Rate  Mean £  Growth Rate  Median £  Growth Rate  Mean £  Growth Rate 
			 1997 93 — 114 — 84 — 126 — 94 — 111 — 
			 1998 97 5 120 6 86 3 130 3 99 5 118 6 
			 1999 103 6 126 6 96 12 138 6 105 6 124 5 
			 2000 106 3 131 3 96 0 133 -3 108 3 130 5 
			 2001 110 4 135 3 99 3 137 3 112 4 134 3 
			 2002 116 6 146 8 110 12 161 17 118 5 142 6 
			 2003 123 6 153 5 113 2 165 2 125 6 150 6 
			 2004 excl 131 6 162 6 120 7 172 5 133 6 159 6 
			 2004 inc(b) 130 — 161 — 121 — 172 — 132 — 158 — 
			 2005 132 2 167 4 122 1 181 5 135 2 163 3 
			 2006 excl(c) 137 4 174 4 128 5 188 4 140 4 170 4 
			 2006 inc(c) 138 — 173 — 128 — 188 — 140 — 169 — 
			 2007 144 5 182 5 138 8 198 5 146 4 178 5 
			 (a) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (b) In 2004 additional supplementary surveys were introduced to improve the coverage of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Figures are presented both excluding and including the additional surveys for comparison purposes. (c) In 2006 a small number of methodological changes were introduced to improve the quality of the survey These include changes to the sample design itself, as well as the introduction of an automatic occupation coding tool. Figures are presented both excluding and including these changes for comparison purposes.  Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. All of the figures on this table have a CV of less than 5%. CV <= 5% * CV > 5% and <= 10% ** CV> 10% and <=20% x CV > 20%  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Pay: Cornwall

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) mean and  (b) median salary including pro-rata salary for part-time workers of (i) full-time men, (ii) full-time women, (iii) part-time men and (iv) part-time women was in Cornwall in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Daren Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) mean and  (b) median salary including pro-rata salary for part-time workers of (i) full-time men, (ii) full-time women, (iii) part-time men and (iv) part-time women was in the Cornwall in each of the last 10 years. (16407V)
	Levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all full-time employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE survey, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	I attach a table showing the mean and median gross weekly earnings for full-time, part-time males and females from 1997 to 2007 for Cornwall.
	
		
			  Gross weekly pay for employee jobs( a)  by Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 
			   Full time employees  Full time male  Full time female 
			   Median  Growth rate  Mean  Growth rate  Median  Growth rate  Mean  Growth rate  Median  Growth rate  Mean  Growth rate 
			 1997 250 — 289 — 279 — 319 — 211 — 247 — 
			 1998 253 1 298 3 292 *5 327 3 219 4 257 4 
			 1999 260 3 301 1 283 -3 326 0 226 3 263 3 
			 2000 276 6 318 6 290 2 339 4 251 11 286 9 
			 2001 297 8 337 6 320 10 369 9 252 *1 286 0 
			 2002 303 2 349 3 319 0 372 1 274 *8 312 9 
			 2003 332 — 392 — 362 — 417 — 284 * 349 * 
			 2004 excl 333 -8 395 -8 354 -8 416 -10 308 -5 362 -5 
			 2004 inc(b) 328 — 391 — 354 — 412 — 302 — 357 — 
			 2005 341 4 403 3 365 3 428 4 315 *4 365 2 
			 2006 excl(c) 360 6 415 3 391 7 449 5 326 *4 366 0 
			 2006 inc(c) 359 — 414 — 389 — 449 — 326 * 365 — 
			 2007 373 4 430 4 399 3 459 2 344 *6 389 6 
			 a. Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.  b. In 2004 additional supplementary surveys were introduced to improve the coverage of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Figures are presented both excluding and including the additional surveys for comparison purposes.  c. In 2006 a small number of methodological changes were introduced to improve the quality of the survey These include changes to the sample design itself, as well as the introduction of an automatic occupation coding tool. Figures are presented both excluding and including these changes for comparison purposes.   Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. CV <= 5% * CV>5%and<= 10% ** CV> 10%and<=20% x CV > 20%  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics. 
		
	
	
		
			  Gross weekly pay for employee jobs( a)  by Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 
			   Full time employees  Part time male  Part Time Female 
			   Median  Growth rate  Mean  Growth rate  Median  Growth rate  Mean  Growth rate  Median  Growth rate  Mean  Growth rate 
			 1997 89 * 100 — x x 108 ** 89 ** 99 * 
			 1998 81 *-9 97 -3 x x 105 **-3 80 -11* 95 *-4 
			 1999 93 *15 110 14 111 ** 133 *27 86 8* 105 11 
			 2000 97 *4 118 7 x x x x 95 *10 115 9 
			 2001 111 *15 125 6 x x 124 **-11 112 *19 125 *9 
			 2002 109 *-2 125 0 108 ** 119 **-3 109 *-2 126 1 
			 2003 120 * 135 — 122 ** 133 ** 120 * 135 — 
			 2004 excl 125 -1* 147 *-4 117 **0 155 **-26 126 *-1 145 3 
			 2004 inc(b) 119 * 143 — 102 ** 143 ** 122 * 142 — 
			 2005 125 *5 139 -3 135 ** 150 *5 122 *0 135 -5 
			 2006 excl(c) 136 *9 167 *20 x x 188 *26 138 *13 160 *19 
			 2006 in(c) 136 * 167 * x x 190 ** 137 * 160 * 
			 2007 140 *3 165 -1 150 ** 167 *-12 139 *2 164 3 
			 (a). Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.  (b). In 2004 additional supplementary surveys were introduced to improve the coverage of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Figures are presented both excluding and including the additional surveys for comparison purposes.  (c). In 2006 a small number of methodological changes were introduced to improve the quality of the survey These include changes to the sample design itself, as well as the introduction of an automatic occupation coding tool. Figures are presented both excluding and including these changes for comparison purposes.   Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%. we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. CV <= 5% * CV>5%and <= 10% ** CV>10%and<=20% x -CV > 20%   Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Pay: St Ives

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) mean and  (b) median salary including pro-rata salary for part-time workers of (i) full-time men, (ii) full-time women, (iii) part-time men and (iv) part-time women was in the St Ives constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) mean and  (b) median salary including pro-rata salary for part-time workers of (i) full-time men, (ii) full-time women, (iii) part-time men and (iv) part-time women was in the St Ives constituency in each of the last 10 years.(164070)
	Levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all full-time employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE survey, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	I attach a table showing the mean and median gross weekly earnings for full-time, part-time males and females from 1997 to 2007 for St Ives.
	
		
			  Gross weekly pay for employee jobs( a)  by St. Ives 
			   Full-time employees  Full-time male  Full-time female 
			   Median  £  Growth rate  Mean  £  Growth rate  Median  £  Growth rate  Mean  £  Growth rate  Median  £  Growth rate  Mean  £  Growth rate 
			 1997 228 * 294 ** 249 ** 348 ** 197 ** 216 * 
			 1998 233 *2 296 **1 241 **-3 343 **-1 214 **8 228 *6 
			 1999 252 *8 318 **8 260 **8 370 **8 218 **2 243 *6 
			 2000 256 *1 326 **2 272 **5 377 **2 237 **9 260 *7 
			 2001 271 **6 322 *-1 289 **6 348 *-8 x x 288 *11 
			 2002 279 **3 371 **15 299 **3 x x 263 ** 288 *0 
			 2003 284 *2 379 **2 302 **1 x x 273 **4 299 *4 
			 2004 excl(b) 316 **11 380 *0 324 **7 410 *-4 279 2 331 *11 
			 2004 inc(b) 309 ** 378 * 323 ** 412 ** 279 ** 325 * 
			 2005 304 *-2 373 *-1 318 **-2 398 **-3 289 **3 333 *2 
			 2006 excl(c) 330 *9 430 **15 358 *12 511 **28 295 **2 328 *-1 
			 2006 inc(c) 329 * 426 ** 355 * 510 ** 294 ** 325 * 
			 2007 332 **1 392 *-8 341 **-4 422 *-17 320 **9 347 *7 
		
	
	
		
			   Part-time employees  Part-time male  Part-time female 
			   Median £  Growth rate  Mean £  Growth rate  Median £  Growth rate  Mean £  Growth rate  Median £  Growth rate  Mean £  Growth rate 
			 1997 100 ** 107 ** x x x x 97 ** 99 ** 
			 1998 87 *-13 93 **-13 — x — x — x — x 
			 1999 105 **21 112 *21 121 ** 137 **114 99 ** 108 **9 
			 2000 x x 130 **15 125 **3 x x x x 120 **12 
			 2001 x x 142 *9 x x 156 **-4 x x 138 **15 
			 2002 112 ** 128 *-9 x x x x 112 ** 132 **-4 
			 2003 129 **16 139 *8 x x x x 130 **16 137 *4 
			 2004 excl(b) 128 **-1 145 *4 x x 143 ** 125 **-3 145 **6 
			 2004 inc(b) 124 ** 141 * x x 143 ** 112 ** 141 * 
			 2005 124 **0 135 *-5 x x 153 **7 x x 126 **-11 
			 2006 130 **5 173 **28 x x x x 113 ** 143 **14 
			 2006(c) 131 ** 175 ** x x x x x x 144 ** 
			 2007 124 **-5 159 **-10 x x 172 ** 123 ** 153 **6 
			 (a) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (b) In 2004 additional supplementary surveys were introduced to improve the coverage of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Figures are presented both excluding and including the additional surveys for comparison purposes. (c) In 2006 a small number of methodological changes were introduced to improve the quality of the survey These include changes to the sample design itself, as well as the introduction of an automatic occupation coding tool. Figures are presented both excluding and including these changes for comparison purposes.  Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. CV <= 5% * CV> 5% and <= 10% ** CV> 10% and <=20% x CV > 20%  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Personal Savings

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) net and  (b) gross rate of (i) household and (ii) national savings was in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 13 November 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what (a) the net and (b) the gross rate of (i) household and (ii) national savings was in each year since 1997.
	Relevant information is shown in the table attached. In the UK National Accounts, following international guidelines, the household sector is combined with the non-profit institutions serving households sector (NPISH), and it is not possible to separate the two. Examples of institutions included within the NPISH sector are: charities; trade unions; universities; churches and political parties.
	Net savings are calculated as gross saving less the consumption of fixed capital (depreciation).
	
		
			  Table 1: gross and net savings for the household and NPISH; and UK sectors 
			  £ million 
			   Household and NPISH gross savings (NSSH)  Household and NPISH consumption of fixed capital (QWLL)  Household and NPISH net saving (NSSI)  UK gross saving (NQET)  UK consumption of fixed capital (NQAE)  UK net saving (NQEJ) 
			 1997 54390 23704 30686 142061 95179 50126 
			 1998 41844 25053 16791 158257 98961 63206 
			 1999 33136 27976 5160 146294 105507 45239 
			 2000 33584 30518 3067 147613 111251 41241 
			 2001 45137 32908 12228 156483 115796 46049 
			 2002 36301 36043 258 167161 121914 51154 
			 2003 37421 36903 518 175725 125553 56486 
			 2004 29307 42509 -13059 187751 135184 59324 
			 2005 46745 43257 4122 186347 138354 55254 
			 2006 43913 48623 953 193751 147720 57449 
			  Source: UK National Accounts—The Blue Book 2007 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=1143

Public Expenditure

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in which official publication the definitive Barnett formula is published; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The latest version of the Barnett formula was published in the Statement of Funding Policy by the Treasury on 9 October 2007 and is available on the Treasury's website at:
	hm-treasury.gov.uk.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make written records of births, marriages and deaths available to the public in the Family Records Centre until the online records are accessible by the public; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if written records of births, marriages and deaths will be made available to the public in the Family Records Centre until the online records are accessible by the public. (162338)
	The paper volumes of birth, marriage and death indexes were removed from the Family Records Centre and placed in secure storage during October. Copies of indexes on microfiche, which are exact copies of the paper volumes, will be available at the Centre up to its closure in early 2008, with back-up arrangements under which customers who find the microfiche difficult to read can be advised by staff who have access to the paper records. From April 2008 The National Archives will continue to hold microfiche copies of the indexes.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultations took place with  (a) family history societies,  (b) his Department and  (c) other interested persons, prior to the removal of the paper records from the Family Records Office over the weekend of 27 to 28 October; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what consultations took place with (a) family history societies, (b) his Department and (c) other interested persons, prior to the removal of the paper records from the Family Records Office over the weekend of 27th to 28th October. (162405)
	The General Register Office (GRO) announced the proposed timing for the removal of paper records from public access at a meeting on 25 July of the Family Records Centre User Group, which is attended by the main genealogical and family history societies. GRO invited members of the User Group to put forward views about how the proposed arrangements could be improved. At the same time a notification was posted on GRO's website and sent to the genealogical press. Large posters were displayed in the FRC in multiple locations notifying customers of the changes, together with a timetable.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reasons are for the delay in providing the online version of the births, deaths and marriages registers; for what penalties the contractor will be liable as a result; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the reasons for the delay in providing the online version of the births, deaths and marriages registers and what penalties the contractor will be liable to as a result. (162406)
	Following approval of a business case, a high-level requirements specification for such a system was undertaken in late 2006 and early 2007. The results of this work were not in line with some of the assumptions in the business case and it was decided not to proceed with the project at that point. No supplier is liable for delays.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) original and  (b) most recent estimated date was by which the online version of the registers of births, deaths and marriages will be accessible by the public.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the (a) original and (b) most recent estimated date by which the online version of the registers of births, deaths and marriages will be accessible by the public. 162407
	At the time of the original business case approval for the system, it was hoped that it would be available to access some index data by early 2008. Subject to agreement of a viable revised business case, and confirmation of funding, it is hoped that a system for on-line access can be in place during 2009.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) original and  (b) most recent estimated cost was of the project to provide an online version of the registers of births, deaths and marriages provided by the General Register Office.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the (a) original and (b) most recent estimated cost was of the project to provide an online version of the registers of births, deaths and marriages provided by the General Register Office. (162408)
	The cost set out in the original business case was just over 4.5million. A revised business case has yet to be approved.

Unemployment: Cornwall

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average rate of unemployment was for  (a) men and  (b) women in (i) the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, St. Ives constituency and (ii) Cornwall in each of the most recent 10 years for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on what the average rate of unemployment was for  (a) men and  (b) women in (i) the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, St. Ives constituency and (ii) Cornwall in each of the most recent 10 years for which figures are available. (164073)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Tables 1 and 2 provide estimates on the numbers unemployed and the unemployment rates for men and women in the St. Ives constituency and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly county respectively. Estimates are provided from the local area LFS for the 12 month period ending in February, for 1998 to 2004 and from the APS for the 12 month period ending in March for 2005 to 2007.
	Estimates for a subset of the population in a small geographical area are based on very small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Tables 3 and 4 provide annual average numbers of JSA claimants and these numbers as a percentage of the resident working-age population in St. Ives constituency and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly county respectively, for 1997 to 2006.
	
		
			  Table 1: Unemployment by sex; St. Ives parliamentary constituency( 1) 
			  Thousand 
			   Men  Women  Total 
			  12 months ending  Level ( 2 ) Rate (%)  Level ( 2 ) Rate (%)  Level ( 2 ) Rate (%) 
			 February 1998 1 6 1 6 3 6 
			 February 1999 3 15 * * 4 10 
			 February 2000 2 7 2 9 3 8 
			 February 2001 1 4 1 8 2 6 
			 February 2002 1 5 1 6 2 6 
			 February 2003 2 9 1 5 3 7 
			 February 2004 2 8 1 6 3 7 
			 March 2005 2 7 1 4 3 6 
			 March 2006 1 4 * * 2 3 
			 March 2007 1 6 1 4 2 5 
			 (1) The Isles of Scilly are not included in the Annual Population Survey. 2. Unemployed as a percentage of the economically active population. * Sample size too small to provide estimate.  Note:  Estimates are subject to sampling variability. Changes in the estimates over time should be treated with particular caution.  Source:  Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Unemployment by sex; Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly county ( 1) 
			  Thousand 
			   Men  Women  Total 
			  12 months ending  Level ( 2 ) Rate (%)  Level ( 2 ) Rate (%)  Level ( 2 ) Rate (%) 
			 February 1998 6 5 8 8 13 6 
			 February 1999 8 6 5 5 13 6 
			 February 2000 8 7 6 6 14 6 
			 February 2001 6 5 4 4 10 4 
			 February 2002 7 6 7 6 14 6 
			 February 2003 6 5 3 3 9 4 
			 February 2004 6 4 5 5 11 5 
			 March 2005 8 6 4 3 12 5 
			 March 2006 6 4 2 2 8 3 
			 March 2007 5 4 5 4 10 4 
			 (1) The Isles of Scilly are not included in the Annual Population Survey. (2) Unemployed as a percentage of the economically active population.  Note:  Estimates are subject to sampling variability. Changes in the estimates over time should be treated with particular caution.  Source:  Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Jobseeker's allowance claimants by sex; St. Ives parliamentary constituency 
			   Men  Women  Total 
			  Year  Number ( 1 ) Proportion (%)  Level ( 1)  Proportion (%)  Level ( 1 ) Proportion (%) 
			 1997 2,439 8 951 4 3,390 6 
			 1998 2,144 7 900 3 3,043 6 
			 1999 1,863 6 785 3 2,648 5 
			 2000 1,571 5 647 2 2,218 4 
			 2001 1,274 4 547 2 1,821 3 
			 2002 1,112 4 481 2 1,593 3 
			 2003 979 3 416 2 1,395 3 
			 2004 810 3 330 1 1,140 2 
			 2005 741 3 315 1 1,055 2 
			 2006 841 3 349 1 1,189 2 
			 (1) Number of claimants expressed as a percentage of the resident working-age population.  Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative data 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Jobseeker's allowance claimants by sex; Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly county 
			   Men  Women  Total 
			  Year  Level ( 1 ) Proportion (%)  Level ( 1)  Proportion (%)  Level ( 1) Proportion (%) 
			 1997 10,873 7 3,849 3 14,723 5 
			 1998 9,202 6 3,533 3 12,735 5 
			 1999 8,433 6 3,339 2 11,772 4 
			 2000 7,000 5 2,749 2 9,748 3 
			 2001 5,660 4 2,210 2 7,870 3 
			 2002 4,965 3 1,968 1 6,933 2 
			 2003 4,517 3 1,808 1 6,324 2 
			 2004 3,976 3 1,616 1 5,593 2 
			 2005 3,845 2 1,549 1 5,394 2 
			 2006 4,135 3 1,739 1 5,874 2 
			 (1) Number of claimants expressed as a percentage of the resident working-age population.  Source:  Jobcentre Plus administrative data

Vulture funds

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to prevent vulture funds operating in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: The Government are working to address the problem of so-called 'vulture funds' in two ways—by preventing debts being sold to vulture funds in the first place and by limiting the damage done by cases already under way. To reduce the risk of debts falling into the hands of vulture funds, we are working with the World Bank to help poor countries buy back their commercial debts at a deep discount at the earliest possible opportunity through its Debt Reduction Facility. We are also working with Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) to strengthen their debt management capacity and overall governance.
	To address cases where poor countries' debts are already in the hands of vulture funds, we are working with the African Development Bank to develop proposals for a Legal Assistance Facility to help ensure that countries have access to legal advice to help them fight these cases.
	The UK will also continue to raise this issue internationally. At the recent Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, G7 Finance Ministers agreed to examine whether additional steps can be taken to address this problem.

Welfare Tax Credits: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit claimants there have been in West Chelmsford constituency since January 2007, broken down by those  (a) underpaid,  (b) overpaid,  (c) paid the correct amount and  (d) in dispute over their payments.

Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the numbers of families with tax credits awards, including information on overpayments and underpayments by constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes, for 2005-06, is available in the HMRC publication "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards 2005-06. Supplements on Payments in 2005-06. Geographical Analysis". This is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	Estimates for 2006-07 tax credit awards are due to be published in May 2008 when family circumstances and incomes have been finalised.
	Information on the number of families who are in dispute over their tax credits payments is not available at constituency level.

PRIME MINISTER

Ballistic Missile Defence: Czech Republic

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he held with his Czech counterpart on 8 November on the US deployment of national missile defense in Europe; and what conclusions were reached.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given by my spokesman on 8 November 2007. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website at:
	http://pm.gov.uk/output/Page13719.asp
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Visits

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister which  (a) hon. Members,  (b) former hon. Members and  (c) Peers who are not Members of the Labour Party he has invited to Downing Street since becoming Prime Minister.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 819W.

Honours: Domicile

David Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to ensure that a person nominated for  (a) membership of the House of Lords and  (b) an honour is domiciled in the UK for income tax purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: The House of Lords Appointments Commission set out in their annual report 2006-07 that they would now decline to scrutinise any candidate for a life peerage who is not currently resident in the UK for tax purposes. Honours do not confer any legislative or executive function and therefore may be conferred on people domiciled abroad.

IGC 2007

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to attend  (a) the Signature Ceremony to conclude the 2007 Intergovernmental Council in Lisbon on 13 December and  (b) the European Council in Brussels on 13 to 14 December.

Gordon Brown: Plans for the December European Council are yet to be confirmed.

Members: Correspondence

Anthony Steen: To ask the Prime Minister when he referred the letter from Access to Community Education, Brixham of 12 July to the Department for Work and Pensions for reply.

Gordon Brown: My office received the letter on 18 July 2007. A reply was sent to Access to Community Education by the Department for Children, Schools and Families on 14 August 2007.

Members: Surveillance

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister whether it is his policy that no authorisation will be given for the interception of communications in respect of  (a) hon. Members and  (b) Members of the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 July 2007,  Official Report, column 351W.

Public Relations: Prime Minister

David Laws: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  which local and regional newspapers were briefed on his education speech of 31 October 2007 by the  (a) Senior Press Officer - Regions, in the Prime Minister's Press Office and  (b) other press officers in the Prime Minister's Press Office; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what instructions were given to the regional press officers in the Downing Street Press Office in relation to the Prime Minister's education speech on 31 October 2007; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  which schools the Downing Street Press Office told journalists would be mentioned in his education speech of 31 October; which schools were mentioned in the speech; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: All contacts with the media are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and Guidance on the Work of the Government Information Service.

Saudi Arabia: Human Rights

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he made to King Abdullah about human rights violations in Saudi Arabia during the King's recent visit to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I discussed a wide range of issues with King Abdullah during his recent visit.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister on what date he last met Tony Blair.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 820W.

World Cup

Don Foster: To ask the Prime Minister whether he discussed the appointment of the Government's World Cup ambassador with the Football Association before the appointment was made.

Gordon Brown: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.